An Act To Facilitate the Development and Operation of a Group Home for Post-High School Adults with Developmental Disabilities

CONCEPT DRAFT SUMMARY

This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.

This bill proposes to provide necessary statutory support for a proposal for the development and operation of a group assisted living facility in Bar Harbor for post-high school adults with developmental disabilities operated by Local Solutions, a Maine corporation, referred to in this legislation as "the project." The project's goal is to assist the facility residents in building independent lives in the local community, supported by funds provided by the Department of Health and Human Services through a MaineCare waiver program or other possible sources of funding.

The project has partnered with Community Housing of Maine, Inc., a corporation registered in the State, to develop a model to create innovative and accessible housing for young adults with intellectual, physical and cognitive disabilities to be replicated in other communities throughout the State. The site of the project is the donated former parish hall of St. Saviour's Episcopal Church in Bar Harbor, which will be renovated to provide housing to allow the residents to live as independently as possible while supported by paid staff and volunteers providing meals, taking residents to appointments and helping the residents with health and cleanliness practices and general cleaning and maintenance of the group home. The residents will be provided assistance with finding employment and recreation and with volunteering in the local community. The project has sought out other funding sources, including private fund-raising and housing choice vouchers from the Federal Government.