How Aster Commons will meet the needs of neurodivergent young adults
Written by Dylan Novacek, Content Specialist.
“Together we aim to ensure that the homes and services at Aster Commons will be meaningful to future residents,” expressed Gina Brady, Sensory Support and Training Program Manager at Fraser. “We’re taking into account the needs of the neurodivergent population and making sure there aren’t any barriers to them having a place to call home.”
Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, alongside our service partners at Volunteers of America MN/WI (VOA), and our consultants at Fraser, are working together to develop the homes and services at Aster Commons, suburban supportive housing focused on young adults.
With about 38 high-quality, well managed apartments, the building will focus on young adults ages 18 to 24. With thoughtfully-shaped on-site supportive services, autistic and other neurodivergent residents will be able to work towards achieving their goals, build community, and thrive in a home that meets their needs.
As we develop the building and services in collaboration with our partners at Fraser and VOA, we better understand the need for these homes, how to best craft these specific services, and how to effectively respond to the unique needs of neurodivergent people.
The Need for Aster Commons
“Too often, individuals exiting homelessness are brought into a home that doesn’t meet their needs,” explained Katie Perzel, Senior Director of Behavioral Health and Education at VOA. “The need for affordable housing is dire, and this specific population is underserved. Having a space that fits their needs, alongside services tailored to those needs, is exactly what we’re looking to do at Aster Commons.”
Targeting Aster Commons towards neurodivergent young adults was sparked by the Hennepin County Supportive Housing strategy focus for 2022. Youth with neurodiverse conditions such as autism spectrum disorders, brain injuries, or fetal alcohol syndrome were explicitly named as a priority for supportive housing in the county in order to meet the housing needs of those most excluded from the current housing system. The county cited focus groups, listening sessions, and other data as factors that led to their decision.
“In Beacon’s approach to this project, I conducted interviews with several local community experts on the intersection of homelessness and neurodiverse conditions. In these interviews, most underlined the need for housing for youth living with traumatic brain injuries and other neurodiverse conditions,” shared Kynda Stull, Beacon’s Director of Supportive Housing Partnerships. “This need was underlined because these individuals have experienced unique issues in housing that threatened their long-term housing stability and success moving forward.
“One thing that stood out from our research was that there is not a single example of youth supportive housing designed from the ground up for youth who might be neurodiverse in addition to homeless in the United States,” Kynda concluded.
“Aster Commons is the first of its kind as it’s tailored to meet the needs of neurodivergent individuals who have experienced homelessness and housing instability,” Gina added. “This home will see that residents receive secure and safe housing while also having their sensory, cognitive, and neurodivergent needs met.”
Our collaboration with Fraser and VOA is essential as we address the unmet needs of future residents and create a building where they can thrive.
Our Collaboration with Fraser
“This partnership is exciting for Fraser because we get to be involved from the start and bring an inclusive mindset to the table,” Gina smiled, pictured. “At Aster Commons, Fraser’s role is to help develop the building with neurodivergent young adults front and center, while also providing VOA with program and service consultation.”
As an organization, Fraser provides autism, mental health, and disability services across the lifespan. Their mission is to make a meaningful and lasting difference for individuals and families living with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities by providing a lifetime of quality healthcare, education, employment, and supportive services.
What makes Fraser such a great partner in this work is their commitment to person-centered care, as well as their degree of expertise when it comes to our shared understanding of what a neurodivergent population needs.
“Neurodivergent is meant to describe an individual or group of individuals, whereas neurodiversity describes the movement of supporting, advocating for, and accommodating this group,” Gina explained. “Neurodivergent individuals can come from a variety of life experiences and are very common. You likely know someone who is neurodivergent, or you might even fall under that umbrella yourself. Some of the life experiences under this umbrella include autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, and more.”
With its broad range, the individualized needs of neurodivergent individuals can be varied as well. With that in mind, Fraser’s work with Beacon and VOA is important as we develop the building and its services.
Services from Volunteers of America
“The vision of Aster Commons is to bring individualized supports that meet the needs of all residents in the building so they can thrive together with access and ease,” exclaimed Katie, pictured. “It’s critical as providers that we have the working knowledge of the needs for neurodivergent young adults. We’re seeking to address the needs of the whole person through a trauma informed approach.”
As an organization, VOA works to build hope, resilience, and wellbeing. Longtime partners of Beacon, they also provide services at Audubon Crossing, family supportive housing in Minneapolis, and soon at Vista 44 and Prairie Pointe, family supportive housing in Hopkins and Shakopee, respectively.
Click here to learn more about our partnership with VOA.
“Our work is to harness the strength and perseverance of those we want to serve in order to help them clear a path forward,” Katie continued. “At Aster Commons, residents will have access to onsite care coordination while being in a home specifically tailored to their needs. Achieving an individual’s health, educational, social, or emotional goals is best done when your housing is secure.”
Through their care coordination, case management builds strong relationships with residents. From there, they can create personal plans of care where a resident identifies their goals around everything from health, employment, independence, and more. It’s then VOA’s goal to connect them to resources and help residents navigate systems so they can achieve their goals.
Guided by the consultation of Fraser, VOA will execute these services in a way that fits the needs of a neurodivergent population.
“Our three organizations collaborating around this shared vision strengthens our ability to more effectively serve the residents. Fraser is helping guide us to ensure these services are meaningful,” Katie cheered.
Hearing Directly From Those We Seek to Serve
As we collaborate to develop Aster Commons, we know it’s vital to listen to those with lived experience. As such, Beacon, VOA, and Fraser hosted several lived-experience focus groups to help inform everything from the services down to the design of the building.
“It’s powerful and important when we listen to the voices of the community we’re serving,” Gina asserted. “We had a group of individuals who are neurodivergent, had past experiences with insecure housing, or both, share what they liked and disliked about the building’s design. We also heard directly from them about what we need to consider. I just love that this project has incorporated experts with lived experience as a key part of this process.”
“From the start, this building is being designed, created, and envisioned with the people who will live there in mind,” Katie added. “There is so much attention being paid to creating these living spaces.”
With the inclusion of multi-purpose rooms that can be used as sensory spaces or meditation rooms, and being mindful of the types of furniture or lighting included in the homes, the ultimate goal is to ensure Aster Commons becomes a home with no barriers for the individual.
One of the main barriers neurodivergent people face when finding a home is that the space often doesn’t meet their specific needs. Examples of this can include noise leaking in from the neighbors, colors and patterns giving off too much information, and even lack of, or confusing, wayfinding inside the apartment and out in the common spaces.
“A standout thing I heard from the lived experience group was the need for lighting that can be dimmed and adjusted,” Katie reflected. “It’s small but very important details like that which make Aster Commons more than four walls and a roof. It makes it a home that truly works for the residents.”
“Having a safe space where you can be your authentic self is so important,” Gina added.
How You Can Help Advance Aster Commons
It takes dedicated collaboration to make the homes at Aster Commons a reality. As Beacon continues to collaborate with Fraser and VOA, we’re listening to the community and developing a home that fits the needs of neurodivergent young adults.
“People might hear things like sensory, neurodivergent, or autism, and only think of children,” Gina reflected. “People tend to forget that children grow up. There is a whole population of young adults who have experienced homelessness who fall under the neurodivergent umbrella. It’s important to make homes with accommodations like this so we can enable all our neighbors to participate fully in the community, while having a safe space to live.”
From the concept, to blueprints, and to move-in day, your support is needed. A $21,000 contribution creates a Beacon home for people with the lowest incomes and the highest barriers to housing by leveraging 20 times more in capital and operations. Seeds of Home includes housing development, service design, and more. Your contributions make these homes possible. Click here to make a gift today.
