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A new housing community for neurodiverse adults with ground floor retail in the heart of Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson neighborhood
LOS ANGELES – Today, Cornerstone Housing for Adults with Disabilities broke ground on The Bhatia Family Village, a 64-unit, revolutionary housing model for neurodiverse adults. Located in the heart of Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson neighborhood, The Bhatia Family Village will serve as a nexus for residents, neighbors, and businesses. This innovative new model for housing will empower residents with developmental disabilities to live independently and contribute to their surrounding community in unprecedented ways, while providing rich amenities, including ground-floor retail, for the surrounding neighborhood. "The Bhatia Family Village will provide the neurodiverse community with an opportunity to live independently and contribute in unprecedented ways. It will also enrich and enliven the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, creating a space of beauty and soul. Most importantly, it will provide a blueprint for how we can meet an urgent housing need that can be replicated across California and beyond. Through this project, we are creating a place where generations of families and individuals can find a sense of belonging and community,” said Kam Babaoff, Chair, Cornerstone Housing for Adults with Disabilities Attendees included Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles); Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica); Paul Koretz, Former Member, Los Angeles City Council; Bob Hertzberg, Former Speaker, California State Assembly; Anita Bhatia, CEO and Executive Director of the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, landmark donor for The Bhatia Family Village; as well as representatives from the offices of Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32); Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Los Angeles City Councilmember Katy Young Yaroslavsky. Ground floor retail will provide vocational opportunities for residents and diverse amenities for the local community. The second floor will provide an inclusive, accessible, and sensory friendly site for education, training and thought leadership. “To me, the groundbreaking of The Bhatia Family Village is the start of a new life and new adventure. I’m looking forward to a brighter future and community of friends,” said Adam Breall, Member of the neurodiverse community and advocate. Additional quotes from elected officials, community leaders, advocates, and donors: "A home means more than just shelter. For the future residents of this innovative housing project, it will mean stability. It will mean acceptance. It will mean independence and self-determination. With this groundbreaking, the 55th Assembly District is leading the way in inclusive housing and guiding California toward a future where everyone can live with comfort and dignity." - Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) “This groundbreaking offers us a glimpse into the future of inclusive housing solutions that provide critically needed space for adults who have intellectual and developmental differences to live, work and thrive. It is my hope that this initiative will inspire future endeavors throughout the state, further promoting inclusivity and compassion." - Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) “The Bhatia Family Village will not only provide much-needed housing for adults with IDD, but it will also offer those individuals the opportunity to find companionship and community in one of L.A.'s most vibrant neighborhoods. The success of The Bhatia Family Village should serve as a case study for lawmakers across the state and around the country about how public-private partnerships can help alleviate the struggles adults with IDD encounter when searching for housing. As a former member of the California Senate and Speaker of the State Assembly, I am proud that we have taken this important step to ensure no parent ever lies awake at night worried about where their son or daughter with IDD will one day live." - Bob Hertzberg, Former Speaker, California State Assembly “As the parent of a neurodiverse teenager, I am acutely aware of the housing crisis in our country for children like mine. That is why our family is proud to invest in innovative and forward-thinking solutions for the developmentally diverse community like The Bhatia Family Village. This game-changing project exemplifies what can be accomplished when families, community members, business leaders, and government officials work together towards a singular purpose. Our hope is that this will be the first of many ‘Villages’ throughout the United States.” - Anita Bhatia, Executive Director, Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation “Like every human being, adults with IDD deserve the option to live in an independent, supportive community. Unfortunately, when it comes to housing in Los Angeles, the deck is stacked against them. However, The Bhatia Family Village presents a model of a community where like-minded people can understand, support, and cheer for each other. As a parent, The Bhatia Family Village gives me hope for what the nation is possible of creating for individuals with IDD.” - Eric Schwartz, Cornerstone Board Member and parent advocate About Cornerstone Housing: Cornerstone Housing for Adults with Disabilities is a non-profit organization whose mission is to set a new standard for inclusive and independent living for neurodiverse adults in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit www.TheCornerstoneVillage.org.
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BEVERLYWOOD, Calif. — It’s a question that haunts many parents of children with intellectual disabilities: Where will they live after I’m gone? A new housing development in the center of Los Angeles will soon provide an answer with the nation’s first residential complex for people with autism, ADHD and other neurodiversities.
What You Need To Know
“Fortunately, our society is building much-needed housing for the homeless, veterans and seniors. This is a very good thing,” Schwartz said. “However, we also need housing in various forms and shapes for the varying needs of the underserved intellectual disability population.” According to the California Department of Developmental Services, 75% of adults with developmental disabilities live with aging family members or caregivers. About 70,000 teens with autism turn 18 each year, according to the Autism Institute at Drexel University, but once they become adults, they are often unable to find well-paying jobs and support themselves. The idea behind the Village is to create “a nurturing neighborhood where kindred spirits can encourage, comfort and support one another, make lasting friendships, become independent, empowered and confident,” Schwartz said. “A place where support is readily available. A place where size and scale allow services to be delivered effectively and efficiently.” In the works for over 20 years, the Village will have 64 apartments when construction is complete, as well as 10,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor. Individuals who live in the building will receive skills training and job placement opportunities and be provided with meals, activity rooms, exercise classes and transit access in a building that is staffed 24 hours a day with security. The Village is based on work by the nonprofit ETTA, which provides services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, including housing, employment training and social services. ETTA was one of several Jewish organizations that approached the Jewish Caucus in the state legislature when California experienced an unexpected budget surplus last year to request funding and make the Village a reality. “Lots and lots of people came to us with ideas, but very few came to us with the background and the credibility that ETTA has,” California Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) said at Friday’s groundbreaking. “We saw a great plan. We saw that there was a lot of philanthropic support. We saw there was support from a variety of sources, and we said, ‘We’ve got to get behind these guys.’” The $57 million project at the corner of Pico Blvd. and Glenville is funded with $17 million in private funding and $9 million from the state of California. “This is why California is a leader — so all the other states can look to us to say, ‘This is what Los Angeles doing, and now we need to do the same thing,’” said Anita Bhatia, executive director of the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Foundation and mother of a neurodiverse 15-year-old. “It really took a village. When you see parents fighting every day for their kids and then you get support from community members and you get political leaders who are willing to fight as well, look at this beautiful thing that we’re creating.” |