All In will address this housing crisis facing people with disabilities in Columbus with an innovative solution: stable, affordable housing in an inclusive community for people of all abilities and ages. We’ll accomplish this by adapting an acclaimed intergenerational housing model, known as intentional neighboring, in which individuals and families of all ages, capabilities and strengths live in small, intentional communities of mutual support. All In’s first such initiative to adapt this model is Columbus Inclusive Living (CIL).

In communities like CIL, residents commit to being actively involved in helping their neighbors, in a manner appropriate to their abilities and interests, as an expectation of living in the community. Examples can be found in communities like Bridge Meadows in Portland, OR, and Bastion in New Orleans, which serve child welfare-involved families and wounded warrior veterans respectively.

In Columbus, CIL will serve a different population and focus on generating key social outcomes for its residents as well as the larger community:

To generate these tangible results, All In has developed a preliminary concept for an 80-unit mixed-income, intergenerational community that will serve three primary resident groups: (1) Adults with Disabilities, (2) Older Adults, and (3) Families and Younger Adults. The community will be designed to include 7,700 square feet of common areas for community activities and programming for both residents and non-residents. It will be located close to public transportation, shopping, and educational and vocational opportunities with a set aside of 25% of the housing units for adults with disabilities and the balance for older adults, families and younger adult

Community members will commit to regular social interactions with their neighbors as an expectation of living in the community. This could mean checking in regularly with a neighbor with limited mobility, offering a neighbor a ride to a job interview or social activity, or inviting a neighbor over for an occasional cup of coffee. Social connectedness and community participation will also be facilitated by a small program staff that will assist by assessing community/resident needs and resources, and, in general, helping support, but not direct, neighbor-to-neighbor interactions.

As a single project, CIL represents a relatively modest solution to the much larger, national housing crisis facing adults with disabilities. Rather than treating the project as a “one-off,” however, All In is committed to seeing it emerge as a replicable model with broad impact.