SEQUIM — A Clallam County nonprofit organization serving people with developmental disabilities has launched a fundraiser to pay for village-style housing.
Clallam Mosaic, which serves individuals and families in Sequim and Port Angeles, is considering the purchase of a 12.4-acre plot near Sequim city limits on which to build the housing complex.
The nonprofit needs to raise $75,000 to provide a down payment for the property, if terms are successfully negotiated.
Once money for a down payment has been raised, Clallam Mosaic will pursue another $500,000 by Oct. 31, and begin the process of seeking government approval to proceed with the project.
Because Clallam Mosaic is a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency, donations are tax deductible.
For more information about how to donate, call 360-681-8642.
The total estimated cost of the village — including purchasing the land and complete build out — is about $18 million, said Tresa Stuber, committee member of the Home & Good Life Housing Committee.
“We have a whole lot of work cut out for us in order to be able to raise some money to be able to do this.”
In addition to crowd funding, Clallam Mosaic will seek money from the federal and state governments to achieve their goals.
“It will be a combination of things from grant writing to community fund-raising to crowd sourcing, to government assistance,” Stuber said.
The committee has been developing the village style housing concept for the past 1½ years, and hopes to break ground within the next two to three years.
“It would be great if we can do that sooner,” Stuber said.
“But, this is a huge project and we have to be careful to be very intentional as we move along. It is going to take a lot of planning [and] a lot of community support.”
Preliminary plans for the village were unveiled last week — along with a concept drawing of the village — to an audience of about 40 area residents during a public meeting at the Sequim Transit Center.
“Those present were very supportive of the vision and many people volunteered to assist with the effort,” Stuber said.
The complex, to be built in phases, will include seven three-bedroom apartments, 13 two-bedroom apartments, 14 one-bedroom 500-square-foot cottages, seven three-bedroom 2,400-square-foot homes, two eight-bedroom tri-level group homes; a 10-bedroom Alzheimer’s unit; a coffee house and library; a clubhouse; an administration building; and a farm and garden area.
A central pathway will be wide enough to allow emergency vehicles easy access to each housing unit.
The village is designed to give individuals with developmental disabilities the means to semi-independently in a tight knit, friendly and secure environment, Stuber said.
“That is the whole goal — that we support them in being as independent as they possibly can be, and yet give the support that they need when they need it.”
Clallam Mosiac will host another town hall meeting to discuss the project at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in the city council chambers at Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. 5th St.
For more information, call 360-565-6416.
There currently are 413 individuals with developmental disabilities living in Clallam County, according to Clallam Mosaic, with 260 people utilizing Developmental Disability Administration services — an in-home assistance program through the Department of Social and Health Services.
Another 41 remain on a waiting list for services.
The village would be the first facility of its kind on the North Olympic Peninsula, Stuber said.
“There are a couple of homes that provide assisted living with anywhere from one to four people living in them, and that support is provided by agencies that are contracted with the state to provide that service in the community,” she said.
But, “there are so many people that are just desperate for safe and affordable housing for their kids with developmental disabilities, and the need is just going to get greater,” she added.
That is because an increasing number of individuals with developmental disabilities are becoming elderly, Stuber said.
“It is like a gray tsunami. We have an aging population of people with developmental disabilities.”
That is a new development, she said.
“Twenty or thirty years ago, people with developmental disabilities didn’t have the lifespan that they have today. We are facing elder issues within this population, and that is a new thing.”
The issue is compounded when folks with developmental disabilities outlive their parents or guardians.
“What is going to happen when . . . parents are no longer able to provide that support and oversight that is so sorely needed throughout the whole lifetime of somebody with developmental disabilities?” Stuber asked.
“That need is never going to go away.”
Launched in October 1998 with the name Special Needs Advocacy Parents, the organization changed names to Clallam Mosaic in March 2012.
For more information, visit www.clallammosaic.org.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
