HOUSING ISSUES FOR ADULTS WITH IDD IN HAWAII
History
A Developmental Disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions that are due to mental or physical impairments. Developmental Disabilities cause those living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, especially in language, mobility, learning, self help, and independent living that may be lifelong. People with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) can be expected to require a lifetime of support of care.
Society has long recognized that a proportion of the population will have disabilities that require special care over a lifetime. Accordingly, in 1919 Hawaii created what was later called Wainamo training School and Hospital to care for those with IDD. As society's attitudes evolved, the Waimano Training School and Hospital was closed in favor of a community approach to the care of those with IDD.
Hawaii's Promise
The goal of "community care" was that people with IDD would be part of the community and the relationships formed would improve their function. Children would grow up in their family's community, attending school, church, and participating in recreational activities alongside their siblings and typical peers. The assumption was that this connection to the community would last a lifetime.
THE SITUATION TODAY
Today, however, it is apparent that this promise is not being met. Families looking for housing for their adult child with IDD are being told the waitlist for housing is typically ten years. Moreover, when finally assigned housing, it is most UNlikely that the adult child will be able to remain in his/her home community, as promised.
There are two critical forces in play
1. A statewide shortage of housing for this population
2. Appropriate housing options are often not available in the home community, especially in East Honolulu, the Windward side of Oahu, and the neighbor islands.
As we observe more and more aging parents caring for their aging children with IDD, the questions that arise are:
1. What is available for these adult children who cannot care for themselves but cannot continue to rely on aging parents?
2. What planning is being done to ensure housing needs are met?
Fuller Lives is dedicated to increasing both the awareness of these issues and the availability of housing options so we need not face the question that follows. What happens to our dependent adult children if there is not housing available for them when it is needed?
In the Fall of 2018 Fuller Lives developed a survey concerning housing needs for Adults with IDD, A description of the survey and its results are found in the SURVEY OF HOUSING ISSUES tab on the main menu.
A compelling description of the issues, entitled "In Search of a Place for Lauren" in Hawaii was written by Sandee Oshiro and published in the January 25,2021 issue of CIVIL BEAT. It is found at: https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/01/in-search-of-a-place-for-lauren/
