SPRING 2020
Wow! When we started writing this spring Living Unlimited (LU) newsletter (many months ago), we had no idea how much our lives would be upended and how unpredictable life would become. This newsletter is coming out late not only due to all the disruption, but mostly because being sequestered at home with a 260 pound very confused 18 year old toddler who only wants to eat nonstop to quell his anxiety (and who doesn't?) has been quite a ride.

In this current environment there is a lot of thinking about what the future may bring. Or not bring… particularly for our special children. Housing for our special ones was already a hard find. What we just experienced and are still experiencing is not going to make it any easier. Now more than ever we need to figure out how to provide for our special children. Particularly for after we are gone.

These are scary times, but hey we are the extraordinary people raising our special children. We have stared down scary before. We will continue… we must!

What do you get when you add a rocket scientist to the Living Unlimited Board? Well, we are finding out because we just added retired rocket scientist Katie Carney to our Living Unlimited board of directors.
Please Join Us in Welcoming Katie...

Katie has retired from the aerospace industry where she performed mission analysis and systems engineering on space and missile programs. She is a managing partner in RC Group, LLC an investment and consulting company. RC Group, LLC has invested in Concussion Mitigation Technologies (CMT) to develop a Smart Cap to measure and record data associated with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) providing management and engineering consultation to CMT with plans for expansion to other areas of technology.

Katie is a dynamo and a rock star in our book. She has amazing ideas for our communities, and she knows how to implement them! She and our board have worked out a financing structure to aid families to purchase into an LU community. She is also busy uncovering other avenues of revenue for our communities and just for fun, she is working closely with the nonprofit Magical Bridge (www.magicalbridge.org) for creating potential playgrounds for our special population. Katie is a caring and generous person who is giving her all to our community.

Katie was referred to us by a family whose child will be living at the Clearwater Ranch Community in Cloverdale. If you have a friend such as Katie (rocket scientist credentials not required) whom you think would be a good addition to the Living Unlimited board, please send him/her our way. Currently we are seeking to add more advisors to our board's Advisory Council. Please know how much we appreciate your support and assistance in making our LU board stronger and more productive. 
Clearwater Ranch Community Update
We are delighted to report steady progress in seeing our dream come true for our children. We now have 14 families with space for 10 more. Current pricing for a membership is $355,000 and will continue to rise. The price is high perhaps, but not as high as other communities we know about – and ready for occupancy now.

Wonderful caregiving support is provided by Lifehouse (www.lifehouseagency.org) and excellent day programs have been identified and will begin again once the current lockdown ends.

To make purchasing a membership easier, two financing option were developed:
  • Loan Financing: With a large down payment ($100,000 to $200,000), you can get a 5 to 10 year loan from LU with equal monthly loan payments to purchase a membership. No rent will be charged until your child moves in.
  • Lease-to-buy: If you want to transition your child immediately and think you can eventually secure the funds, you can purchase an option for $20,000 which allows you to lease a room for up to five years for $1,950 per month. If you decide to buy-in, the $20,000 plus $650 of each month's payment will be credited as part of the membership price. If you do not exercise your option, you will forfeit the option fee and the rent payments.
Both options require solid income.  Either option allows you to ensure a home for your child at a fixed price. To protect your child's interest, should you die before securing a full membership, a term life insurance policy is required.

To learn more about Clearwater Ranch, please visit the CRC website at www.clearwaterranchcommunity.com and sign up for a Zoom presentation.
A Living Unlimited Inspired Home in Sebastopol
Opening in July 2020

A new home in Sebastopol for three-young men is being renovated and prepared for a July 1st move-in. Lifehouse is providing services for the men. One is attending the College to Career program at Santa Rosa Junior College; another just finished the program and is working at a hydroponic greenhouse growing gourmet tomatoes, and; the third attends the SCOE transition program. The loop-bus service makes getting to their jobs and the community-happenings fully available for them. Amenities are close for dining, shopping, and hanging-out; the Barlow and Ives Pool are also walkable. The MacMillan-Sharfman family, associates of Living Unlimited, purchased the home, and they, in turn, provide affordable rental agreements to the residents. This family has been close to Living Unlimited from the beginning, and we congratulate them for providing a wonderful home for this special population.
Interesting
Associated Press Article
Parents of adult children with disabilities fill housing gap
Really Interesting
Letter of Agreement
Safe Bay Area housing
needed for disabled kids
Have you ever wanted to know more about In Home Supportive Services (IHSS)?
If so, here is a link to an online IHSS Provider Handbook.
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