Gittis
Clinic Secures Residences for Young Adults with Autism Roy Diamond L’78, GCP ’79, a Philadelphia real estate development consultant in the arena of affordable housing, has a 12-year old son with autism. Diamond sits on the board of ALAW. “The reason why ALAW is important and unique is that the first generation of individuals with autism who were not institutionalized, who were educated in the community and lived at home, are maturing. My son would be the next generation, and knowing he will be in a safe environment matters the most to me and my wife.” Group homes, assisted apartment living arrangements, or residential facilities offer more options for out-of-home support. “One of the complexities we face is there is no systematic financing devices for these homes,” says Diamond. “There are private families that have the money to put down on the houses, but we’re trying to get the Commonwealth involved with public financing for families that can’t afford to do it on their own.” With improved
diagnosis of the disability in only the last two decades, there are not
enough self-determined living options in place to assist the growing number
of individuals who have been diagnosed with autism. The work that the
Small Business Clinic and ALAW is doing to help LLCs like Abler establish
a working model will be copied in the coming years as increasing numbers
of children with autism reach maturity. Diamond continues, “Dina
(Schlossberg) and the law students have thought through matters such as
disposition while drafting the documents to create these LLCs. We have
to think about what would happen to the children if one of the housemembers
leaves some day – who gets the house?” He comments as an aside,
“This has been the most profound experience I’ve had as a professional.
I see things from both sides, as a client and as a housing developer. |
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