Resident Profile: Julio Gains Independence and Confidence to Succeed Thanks to HOPE’s Supportive Housing Model
Julio posing in the kitchen of his HOPE home in Long Beach, California. (HOPE)
“A home is a place where I can be myself,” Julio says as he sits back comfortably on his grey sofa in the living room of his new HOPE home in Long Beach. He looks content and proud to share his story, reflecting on his past experiences as he faces the light shining through the living room window. Dressed in a red polo shirt and sandals, Julio relaxes against the pillows of his couch. Today he is surrounded by his service coordinator and supported-living services staff member. They fondly listen as he shares his journey towards independence.
He starts by describing how much he enjoys the simple pleasure of being able to walk around his home. He proceeds to give his guests a tour of his apartment while his mother and girlfriend are chatting outside his front door next to a lush avocado tree in his shared yard. Inside, Julio tells his guests, “I love everything about my new home,” as he shows off his bedroom, kitchen, and living room. Every room is neat and organized.
During his tour, he pauses in the kitchen to tell his visitors how much he enjoys cooking delicious meals to share with his girlfriend, “It has given me a lot of confidence in myself and the things I can do.” He describes how her favorite dishes are what he loves to make the most, including a special Italian cannoli dessert from a secret family recipe.
What visitors might not know upon first meeting Julio is that he is legally blind. Due to past medical needs, he found himself living full-time in a skilled nursing facility. He reflects on his previous living situation where he felt confined and restricted, “I came from a nursing facility where I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even walk around; I couldn’t move. I had to stay in bed all the time.”
According to research by The Americans with Disabilities Act Participation Action Research Consortium (ADA-PARC), 1.08% of people with disabilities ages 18-64 are still residing in nursing homes in California. That is approximately 23,893 people who may need access to stable, affordable housing where they can live more independently. HOPE owns 98 properties with the capacity to house 358 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To address the increasing housing needs of people with I/DD, HOPE has set a new goal of creating homes for 250 additional people between 2019 and 2025.
Last year when Julio realized he no longer needed around-the-clock medical care, he communicated his desire to live independently in his own home. At the time, Julio was asked about his dreams and ambitions. He responded, “My biggest dream for the future is to prosper and succeed in my own home.” At the time his service coordinator realized that HOPE’s Supportive Housing model would work well for Julio as an option for moving from the nursing facility and transitioning to living on his own.
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities desire independence, choice, and dignity in where and with whom they live. According to The ARC, more than 61% of people with I/DD desire to live independently in their own home or apartment. In Julio’s case, HOPE was excited to partner with Harbor Regional Center to create a supported, affordable housing opportunity for him in Long Beach. This supportive housing would provide him with a private unit with services on site to assist with daily living activities as needed.
Julio with Melissa Cunningham, SLS Coordinator and Sandra Gomez, Harbor Regional Center Service Coordinator.
As an outgrowth of the Regional Center system, HOPE provides and maintains housing for their clients with developmental disabilities who receive assistance from either supported living or licensed service providers. Research suggests that people with I/DD residing in their own homes have some of the highest quality of life outcomes, regardless of the complexity of support needed (Friendman, 2019).
Sandra Gomez, Service Coordinator with Harbor Regional Center, says that ever since Julio moved into his new home, he has gained back his sense of humor. As his familiarity with his new home grew and the memories from his previous location faded away, Sandra would hear his joyful voice whenever she would call him. Now when she visits him, he always has the biggest smile. “He is always cracking jokes,” Sandra says. “His sense of humor is something that defines him, so that is something he has gotten back.”
Julio giving a house tour of his home.
It is evident to those who know Julio that he has increased his confidence and self-reliance since moving into his HOPE home. “My favorite thing about living independently is I can move around freely, and I do not have to worry about anything else because it is just me. I can walk around any time that I want.”
As Julio closes out the conversation, he recalls his favorite memory in his new home. That most cherished memory was the first moment when he arrived on move-in day. Up until that point, he hadn’t allowed himself to accept that he was finally going to have an independent place to call home. “Then the first day I got here,” he says, “when everybody left, I broke down in tears. I realized that anything is possible. Hopes and dreams are all possible. You just have to want them. You have to reach out for them.”
HOPE is proud to present this resident profile in support of our 250 by 2025 campaign. Many more individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are waiting to move into HOPE’s supportive housing. Join us in making their dreams possible. Donate at: http://www.hope-homes.org/ways-to-give/donate/.