Creating Community, Independence and Purpose: Legacy Park Homes Sets the Stage for Independent Living

While attending the Mississippi State University ACCESS program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Matthew Aldridge thrived on independence and a sense of purpose. But when he returned home, his family watched that confidence slowly fade. Without a community designed to support adults with special needs, his self-esteem and sense of belonging began to decline. Determined to create a better opportunity, Matthew’s family set out to build what would eventually become Legacy Park Homes, a 28-unit development in Florence, Alabama.

Funded through a combination of financing from AHFA and other private partnerships, Legacy Park offers affordable rental housing with a preference for individuals with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities who can live independently with limited supportive services.

“Most of our residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities were never expected to be able to live independently outside their families’ homes,” said Tiffany Aldridge, operations manager of Legacy Park Homes and a cousin to Matthew. According to Tiffany, many residents have spent much of their lives following the direction of their parents or guardians. While those relationships provide essential support, residents had limited opportunities to make their own decisions, form new friendships, and develop plans of their own.

Tiffany explained that Legacy Park Homes distinguishes itself from other affordable rental housing developments through its supportive services combined with hands-on engagement, skills development, and social activities in a community-focused setting. “We are creating activities here because these individuals don’t have that in their life,” she said.

Matthew’s situation is not unique. Concerns about living independently and ongoing care are a constant worry for many parents and caregivers of households with family members who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Matthew, like several of his fellow residents, is employed and is rebuilding his confidence and sense of independence. Their collective experience provides a sense of comfort for their parents and guardians.

Residents’ families are already seeing the impact of the development. One parent said that moving to Legacy Park was “the best thing that ever happened” to her daughter. “She’s lived more in the past two weeks than in the twenty years she’s been alive,” Tiffany recalled.

Building confidence, independence, and self-esteem in a supportive and community-based learning environment is only the beginning. Several residents are employed locally, and Tiffany hopes that as residents build more confidence, more of them will participate in the workforce. The development recently started a greenhouse project designed to teach teambuilding, responsibility, and self-sufficiency. Residents will have the opportunity to sell fruits and vegetables, nurtured and grown at their greenhouse, at local farmers’ markets, thereby strengthening their social interactions with an even broader community.

Plans for Legacy Park continue to grow. Volunteers at Legacy Park Homes envision residents spending time together outdoors, participating in a variety of activities, and living independently to demonstrate what is possible when projects are driven by purpose. “You’ve got to have a why and you’ve got to have a heart for it,” Tiffany said. She encouraged developers to lean on local partnerships and community resources. “Our community is always asking what we can do to help. It gives them purpose too, and they want to be part of it.”

AHFA will attend the Legacy Park Homes grand opening on August 28 in Florence. The development was made possible through Housing Trust Funds and Affordable Rental Housing Funds made available by the U.S. Treasury and administered by AHFA.

Matthew Aldridge (fourth from right) with fellow residents and family in front of the new greenhouse