08 Jan The Villages Charter School Launches Autism Center – Wonderful News But Long-Term Housing Remains a Concern
Last September (2024), The Villages Charter School announced the launch of a new school specializing in education for students on the autism spectrum. This month, it will begin serving kindergarten through 5th grade students, eventually serving up to 12th grade students.
Fantastic news!! This is so important for these well-deserving, young special needs individuals and their families. Click here for the announcement.
We are grateful to Lindsey Blaise (granddaughter of Villages founder, Gary Morse), who spearheaded the opening of the Autism Center. You can learn more about the new program here.
This announcement further validates what many of us have been pointing out to local officials for the past 6+ years: There is a growing special needs population that deserves more opportunities.
What About Housing?
I must admit, the news of the Autism Center launch stirred mixed emotions for me personally. While excited for those that will benefit from this new program, it was a somber reminder of our failure to secure a commitment from the Developer to work with our families to build a forever home for our special needs adult children.
In November 2023, I published a podcast, Who Will Care for Our Special Needs Child When We Die? I shared my personal journey in trying to help solve future housing needs for our now soon to be 39-year-old son Kevin, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2001.
I highlighted my time on a small nonprofit board for the past six years, as my colleagues and I focused on bringing special needs housing options to The Villages, FL, the largest retirement community in the country. During this time, we had some productive meetings with The Villages and their proxies. We saw hopeful signs and were optimistic that dreams for our children’s futures would be realized.
Rejection was a tough pill to swallow
But not long before that podcast was released in late 2023, we received a formal rejection from The Villages stating they were no longer interested in working with us to bring such an important project forward.
You can imagine our disappointment with this rejection. To be fair, their rejection letter was very supportive of our families and our mission. It seemed to leave the door open for future conversations and support.
However, immediately after receiving the letter, we asked if our families could simply pool our money together and acquire a small parcel of land among the many thousands of acres they have purchased over the past few years. Their response was an immediate “no”, stating that all their undeveloped property is already planned and accounted for in the coming years. It would have been nice to receive a courtesy invite to sit down face to face so they could deliver the disappointing news, and perhaps offer some alternative suggestions.
Most people familiar with The Villages know nothing happens without the Developer’s (The Villages) approval and oversight …. period. A sit-down meeting is not much to ask. While they are supportive of our families and our intentions, it leaves me to think they would be very happy to see this project happen, provided it’s not within The Villages.
We, like many other families, bought in The Villages because of the lifestyle and amenities. Over time, our special needs families built an incredible variety of social clubs and activities for our adult children. Our dream is for them to continue to live here and enjoy the vast network of friends and programs currently in place long after we (the parents and caregivers) leave this earth.
Long term housing needs continue to grow
Meanwhile, I continue to receive calls from families around the country who find my website, articles, and podcasts. They marvel at all this community has to offer in the form of social programs and clubs for special needs adults. They visit, meet with other parents and advocates, and witness firsthand how the growing population of special needs adults enjoy life to its fullest, all made possible by parents and the many senior residents and other volunteers that are so giving of their hearts and their time. I shared some of these amazing stories in a previous article found here.
Many that visit ultimately make the decision to uproot their families and relocate here. I suspect this trend will not only continue, but it will accelerate given the uniqueness of this community and the interest it generates.
With the introduction and opening of the Autism Center to The Villages Charter School, this will no doubt attract younger families to the community. In fact, The Villages specifically designed and developed Middleton (adjacent to The Villages) to attract younger families to help fill the void of workers needed to serve this massive, aging community of mostly retirees. You can read a past article we published on Middleton and why one young family with a special needs child decided to relocate here.
It’s a brilliant strategy by the Developer.
Many housing options for seniors; none for special needs
The Villages continues to lead the nation as the #1 destination for retirees. Mainstream senior residents have a number of options to remain in the community if they no longer are physically or mentally able to manage in their current homes. There are several options nearby, including independent living, assisted living, and nursing home facilities.
While there are some special needs group homes in the tri-county area, they are few in number and don’t offer an opportunity to bring larger numbers of special needs adults together to live and thrive among their peers.
Call to Action
We have an opportunity to do so much better regarding housing options. But we need The Villages (Developer) to return to the table. We need input on the type of housing facility or small community they’d be willing to allow here. We’re not asking for a free ride, nor do we expect them to operate such a facility or housing community. But we do need their support and participation, as they are experts in the housing business and have access and control of all the necessary resources.
The Villages has a history and the capacity to take on multiple complex projects at a time, all while achieving amazing results. Ignoring the steady increase in families relocating to The Villages who bring along their adult special needs child is a missed opportunity to proactively plan and prevent a future crisis.
So who is willing on their side to step forward, reopen dialogue and help us explore the art of the possible?
As always, I can easily be reached at (248) 890-1236 or mike@kevadvotech.com