Parents of Kids with Autism Are Pushing for a 'First-of-Its-Kind' New N.J. Housing Project
Red Bank will be the first New Jersey town to have a residential community housing neurodiverse adults
Olivia Liu/USA TODAY NETWORK
A rendering of the proposed neuro-inclusive apartment building by Thrive Red Bank and Parents with a Plan.A New Jersey town will be the future site for a one-of-a-kind residential housing complex for adults with autism.
The Red Bank zoning board recently approved a plan last month to construct and develop an apartment building for neurodiverse adults, the Two River Times reported, which would be the first one ever in the Garden State.
According to a press release, the THRIVE Red Bank project will consist of 32 one-bedroom apartments to encourage independent living for adults with autism. The building’s amenities will include a teaching kitchen, workout spaces and socialization areas.
The University of Maryland Medical Systems, citing data from the CDC, said that there are more than 5.4 million adults in the United States who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
According to Parents With A Plan, a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to develop a model community for adults with autism and other related developmental disorders," about 500,000 people with autism reach adulthood, and one in 34 children in New Jersey is diagnosed with the developmental disability.
Karen Fluharty, a mother of an adult son with autism, is one of the people who spearheaded THRIVE Red Bank through her Parents With A Plan organization.
“The greatest worry for any parent of a neurodiverse child is ‘What will happen when I can’t be there?'” Fluharty said in the news release. “THRIVE Red Bank will [be] the first of our initiatives to build capacity for innovative, person-centered solutions and create a marketplace of supportive housing options.”
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Fluharty told NJ.com that the idea came about after she searched through 40 places in the U.S. where her son Ryan could live after he “fell off the services cliff” when he became an adult. “None of them were a fit,” she said. “They were either group home-like settings where individuals needed higher 1:1 support. Or located in neighborhoods that weren’t walkable.” Ryan is currently living at First Place, a neurodiverse housing community in Arizona that serves as an inspiration for THRIVE Red Bank.
"If we look at 1 in 34 individuals [dignosed as being on the spectrum], they will age out of that under-21 system and as a result, they need somewhere to go and to live and build their own community,” Fluharty told CW affiliate WPIX-TV.
Related: 19-Year-Old Woman with Autism Goes Viral on TikTok: 'A Lot of People Don't Understand' Autism
Robin Klein, a developer and co-owner of THRIVE Red Bank, described Red Bank as the ideal place for the project, citing the town’s potential employment opportunities for the community's residents as well as its accessibility to shopping, entertainment and education. “Red Bank provides the community and the quality of life and the ethos of giving, engaging and inclusion that will be critical as these young adults move into independent living,” she said, per Patch.com.
The “navigator,” who will live in the building’s ground floor apartment, will serve as a guide for the residents, such in the event a resident injures themselves on the premises, Fluharty told NJ.com.
At last month’s zoning board meeting, parents of children with autism expressed concern about their children’s future, emphasizing the need for them to be independent, the Two River Times reported. “My deepest fear is who is going to not only take care of my son when I’m no longer here but who’s going to care about him,” said Jane Kleiman of Red Bank.
Katie Cartier, an adult with autism, also addressed the board, saying, per the Two River Times. “When I was a student at George Mason University, I worked two jobs. Now, I want to live independently. Please allow me to have the chance.”
However, John Klein, another owner and developer of the project, hailed the Red Bank zoning board’s approval. “We are thrilled by the board’s decision, which will enable us to provide a first-of-its-kind, neuro-inclusive apartment building for our growing New Jersey neuro-diverse population,” he said, per Patch.
THRIVE Red Bank is reportedly set to open in 2025. PEOPLE reached out to Fluharty for comment.
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