Cooperative living for adults opens in San Bruno

“This house provides the one thing that matters most, autonomy and independence,” AbilityPath Housing CEO Bryan Neider said. “Research tells us that when adults with disabilities have keys to their own front doors, self-esteem rises and anxiety drops. This home is a place where they will build a community, support one another and live life on their own terms.” 

And in an increasingly unaffordable state and county, many individuals with developmental disabilities cannot afford to rent or buy a home of their own with necessary resources, Neider said. Housing like this — which is structured to be affordable to residents and provide independent living skills — is paramount, he said. 

What’s also paramount is committing to making that housing a reality, PHCD Board Chair Lawrence Cappel said. 

“I am sick and tired of hearing people say, ‘I’m sorry for those people who are disabled, who don’t have a house, who don’t have this.’ Then do something,” he said. “I want to get up, do something, get it done so you can say that’s done. Let’s go to the next one.” 

Huntington House is the PHCD’s third project with AbilityPath, and the health care district’s way of working toward a solution in collaboration with community partners, Cappel said. 

As a parent of two children with developmental disabilities, San Bruno Councilmember Tom Hamilton said he was happy to see the facility, which will work to enable residents to live more independently and build life skills, come to life in San Bruno. 

“Housing is health care — I also believe that housing is a human right, and we work very hard to address our housing crisis, but not enough is being done in this space, and you guys are doing it,” he said. 

Each of the six individuals who will live in the home will have an individual service provider who works with them throughout the week, and AbilityPath will also have staff to offer services. However, residents will be part of a completely independent home, Reggie San Pablo, AbilityPath individual services programs director, said. 

“Housing for individuals like this is very hard to find. You might have wait lists for two, three, four years,” he said. “It’s very important for individuals to be able to pick where they live and to be able to live autonomously while they get support. Here, the goal is for them to eventually be very independent.” 

AbilityPath has not yet opened the application window for Huntington House, but to get notified when it does open, email rsanpablo@abilitypath.org