FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Page 1
What makes the Specialized Housing model unique?
The SHI model is unique because it focuses on home ownership in a family setting with staff support to encourage residents to engage in the community and to promote individual independence.
What is the role of Specialized Housing?
The home ownership model includes a condominium trust where the parents, siblings, or guardians own the individual condominium units. The Trust appoints Trustees to be the legal representative of the Trust. A Homeowners’ Association provides oversight for the project and contracts with Specialized Housing Inc. to provide property management and staffing services. In some respects the relationship is similar to any property management contract with a condominium association. The unique feature is that SHI provides significant leadership in the hiring and firing of
staff.
Why is that role so important?
One of the most important benefits of the role of SHI is to keep families from the need to be involved in the personnel aspects of house management. This third party provides a level of neutrality in negotiating the relationships and differing expectations of individual residents, their families, and the best interests of the house as a whole. SHI has a proven record of ensuring that staff is available at all times and that coverage is provided despite illness, bad weather, or other unforeseen circumstances. They provide 25 years of experience of screening and supporting staff.
How would you describe a typical resident?
Residents are 18 years or older with a wide range of disabilities in addition to cognitive limitations, such as low vision, hearing loss, medical conditions, physical disabilities. Residents in each house generally span a wide age range. They are often very different from one another but share a common commitment to living as independently as possible.
What they do have in common is a desire to live together as a family, a willingness to share living space, an acceptance of responsibility for working together on the tasks of maintaining a supportive and friendly environment.
Residents are relatively independent, accessing community resources and employment. Because each house operates as a family unit, most residents have very good social skills, supporting each other and working together to create a harmonious living environment.
Typical residents relate appropriately to peers and other adults, are receptive to limits, rules and structure, respect the property of others. They display alertness, interest and motivation. They can cope with stressful situations without becoming aggressive or destructive.
Residents are responsible for basic skills of adult daily living, such as good hygiene, maintenance of their own living space, some money management skills. They should also be able to be alone at home for limited periods of time and to be involved in work and/or day programs that get them out of the house and into the community.
PDF of Resident Criteria:
