The Haven announced the purchase of a three-acre parcel near the University Town Center with a goal of developing an innovative supported living program, The Haven Residences at UTC.
The community would include two-, three- and four-bedroom homes in a design to enhane the lives of adults with disabilities.
The nonprofit, established in 1954 and also known as the Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities Inc., closed on the property May 14, for $1.05 million.
The residences, which will be at 5167 DeSoto Road, Sarasota, will be designed for a more independent style of living than currently offered in the group homes on the main 32-acre campus at 4405 DeSoto Road.
“The Haven Residences at UTC will be privately owned and operated, ensuring personalized care and a sense of ownership and independence for our residents,” Brad Jones, President and CEO of The Haven, said in a prepared statement.
The land purchase was made possible thanks to a donation from Steve and Karen Shapiro.
“We're very excited about the vision that Brad and Alison have for expanding the community that The Haven so beautifully serves,” Karen Shapiro said, referencing Jones and Chief Operating Officer Alison Thomas. “There’s a very large and very invisible part of our community that are high functioning people on their own but require more support.
“There are no existing communities similar to what Brad and Alison want to build out there,” she added, noting that many developmentally disabled individuals are living with parents and/or underemployed.
The Haven has a campus in Venice, too, where The Loveland Center, built the 42-apartment "Nancy Detert Residences at Loveland Village,” in 2016 and is developing the “Senator Nancy C Detert Home of Your Own,” inclusive housing community, which also includes home ownership possibilities.
A more independent residential option in Sarasota
Proximity to the University Town Center, which is a half-mile away; the new Mote Science Education Aquarium and the Nathan Benderson Park rowing facility is a key asset for the planned community, which will also have a spacious clubhouse with a gym, game room and theatre.
The campus will be designed with all residences facing the center to emphasize “front-porch living,” though the actual home styles are still being determined, Thomas noted.
“We really want the feedback of the families that will be impacted by these projects,” Thomas said.
Initial feedback resulted in plans to include a dining hall in the clubhouse for community dinners every night.
The Haven offers programs and services for individuals with disabilities: Selby Preschool, Haven Academy (Grades 9-12), Adult Day Training and Haven Industries, Community Employment, and Residential Services.
The 32-acre main campus of The Haven currently includes six group homes with a total of 51 residents, with two more under construction that would boost the capacity to 75 people.
More than 350 people are on a waiting list.
Residents there have around-the-clock support, with three staff members living in each group home.
People living in the Residences at UTC still have access to all the amenities and care offered on the main campus but the option for a more independent style of living.
On the UTC residence campus, roommates would live in the units with staff ensuring that the individuals are a good fit, though Thomas doesn’t envision any of the current group home residents moving to the new homes.
Instead they will be open to interested families from Sarasota, Manatee and other surrounding counties.
“This is going to serve, potentially, new Haven clients,” she said. “The clients are going to live independently.
“We are still going to have a staff member or two in the clubhouse, so there is a safety net there,” Thomas said. The target resident would be working either a full or part-time job and returning home to a “supported living model” residence.
“That’s what we’re trying to create. It’s not around-the-clock but it’s supported with a safety net,” she added.
When will people be able to move in?
First, The Haven must launch a capital campaign for financing. Thomas said one home will be built at a time. The loose timetable anticipates construction through the 2025 calendar year, with homes ready for people start living there in 2026.
For more information on the project, visit https://www.thehavensrq.org or to make a capital contribution, contact Thomas at athomas@thehavensrq.org or Jones a bjones@thehavensrq.org.
Shapiro anticipates the residences will ultimately provide a sense of community for children like her 20-year-old autistic son, James.
“I believe very firmly that what they are building is a one-of-a-kind solution to offer adults who have disabilities the opportunity to live independently or semi-independently, to rise as high as they can,” she said.
“I really think they’re going to build a family type community, which is really what The Haven is.
“They're all going to be living together and that's pretty exciting,” Shapiro added “For a lifetime place to live, why can’t that be a beautiful solution where people have their friends and coworkers around for many many years.”
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