On Oct 24th, Beth Wilson, Jenn Townley and Marla McQuiston from the Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative were our guest speakers, and the trio gave a deeply moving discussion for the need of affordable housing for adult children with intellectual and/or developmental disability diagnosis (I/DD). Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative (DDHI) is a Vermont parent-run volunteer advocacy group of over 100 parents; all with adult children with I/DD.
Act 186 for Pilot Planning was enacted in 2022 with initial funding of $500,000 to create plans for affordable housing needed for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While a step forward, much more grant funding is needed to build and fill the void of needed affordable housing for these individuals.
To read more about Act 186, visit: https://ddsd.vermont.gov/programs/projects-initiatives/act-186-pilot-planning
To see and hear the DDHI talk with our Rotary club, go to: https://youtu.be/I-j4FrLudiQ