The future residents of a housing development in Rootstown looked around their neighborhood in awe.
They may not have realized it, but they were taking in what will be the view from their future porch for many years.
Epling Estates hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for two homes, which are being constructed for people with disabilities. The homes are a partnership between the Portage County Commissioners, Neighborhood Development Services, the Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the Independence Foundation, Westfield Bank and Epling Estates.
When the homes are completed, they will host eight adults with developmental disabilities, who will have more freedom than they enjoy at the moment, representatives of Independence Portage County said.
The homes are being built at 4935 and 4943 Julie St. in Rootstown, and will be completely accessible, said John Epling of Epling Estates. Epling is constructing the homes, and his company will continue to own the houses, renting them out to the future residents.
“They are going to be paying their rent, their utilities and will be going to the grocery store,” said Sheryl Sklare, director of supported living at Independence of Portage County. “But they do have staff to help them with daily tasks, paying their bills and getting out into the community and being part of the community.”
Bill Ullman, executive director of Independence, said the company has 19 homes, 17 of them in Portage County. Many of those are Intermediate Care Facilities, or traditional group homes, in which people pay all but $50 of their Social Security checks each month to support their living expenses.
But the new homes are “supported living” homes, in which people have more of their income after paying bills.
Most people who live in the homes will go out to a day program sponsored by Independence, which teaches basic living skills. The program also offers the program to people who don’t have developmental disabilities, such as for people who need occupational therapy to recover from a stroke.
The homes being built are expected to be occupied by the end of January if weather holds up.
Epling said he owns 100 homes across Portage County, about a quarter of them for people with developmental disabilities. The houses will be “completely accessible” with no basements. The garages will be oversized, with shelves for storage. Both homes will have wrap-around porches, which he said will allow the residents to sit outside and enjoy their neighborhood.
“It has been a great privilege to work with so many caring people on this project,” he said. “However, the most rewarding part of this journey was seeing broad smiles on the future residents’ faces.”
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