According to WeBUILT DFW’s Senior Vice-President Lindsay Langton,
“The statistics are staggering, yet virtually unknown to the general population. Many have heard of the meteoric rise in autism rates, but few have heard of the housing crisis affecting this population. For instance, of adults with autism, only a small percentage (19%) live outside their parent’s home. The unemployment rate for those with autism hovers around 85-90%. And, Texas ranks 49th out of the 50 states in providing housing benefits for those with disabilities. Because many of the adults are living at home, the looming crisis in housing is virtually invisible.
“Parents of these neurodiverse adults, however, are well aware of the problem. They worry where their children will live when they die. Although some more severely affected adults will qualify for government benefits for housing, a large number of adults have no benefits and nowhere to go. These adults are often semi-independent. They can perform many activities of daily living but cannot function completely on their own and require some support.
“The WeBUILT organization started in Oregon and has come up with a successful and affordable housing model for helping to solve this crisis. WeBUILT DFW plans to bring this model to North Texas and has begun fundraising to make this dream a reality. We participated in Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day for the first time in 2023, and although we did not raise a great deal of money that year, we significantly increased awareness of our mission among parents of neurodiverse individuals as well as alerting some of the general public to the coming crisis.
“In addition, through Giving Day participation, we came to the attention of an organization that offered a grant to nonprofits who are addressing the root causes of poverty and supporting the most vulnerable groups of our community. Recently we received a grant from this charity, a direct result of our participation in Giving Day!
“In addition to fundraising, WeBUILT DFW is currently focusing our efforts on ‘building a community to build a community.’ We have started a monthly Friendship group for neurodiverse adults interested in living together in a supportive community. Not only are we watering the roots of a future housing development, we are fostering friendships and reducing the isolation that so many of these adults experience living in their family home. And, we are learning more independent living skills together-so vital to being able to thrive in a housing community where they will need to support each other.
“As we meet with parents to determine the type and location of a new home for our adult children, we ask for your support in continuing and completing this journey.”
* Graphic/photos provided by WeBUILT DFW
In 15 years, Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $566 million into the North Texas community. In 2023, more than $63.9 million was raised through 97,000 donors benefiting 3,249 area nonprofits.
On Thursday, September 19, support WeBUILT DFW by clicking here and spreading the word. #NorthTexasGivingDay2024