Welcome to the Neighborhood!
Integrative Neighborhood creates a housing community for adults with special needs. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“I was awestruck,” Terry says of initially learning about the Washtenaw County neighborhood. “These young adults were so happy to be on their own. They were so proud of their apartments.” Now, local residents who have special needs can have the same housing opportunity. The first Oakland County pod is finally off the ground and thriving. Located at the Hunter’s Ridge complex, where Mackenzie Matlen will be moving to in a few weeks, five residents who have special needs share three apartments. There, they socialize, encourage one another and learn how to be independent while developing crucial interpersonal and life skills. They’re also close enough to their parents to provide an important safety net for both the young adults and their families. Integrative Neighborhoods of Oakland County, led by parent Melanie KoblinCohn, has even been able to hire its first Community Builder, a woman living in her own apartment paid for by the families of residents to help the young adults socialize. “My daughter went from zero friends to having a whole community of friends,” Terry explains of the neighborhood, which has been especially important during COVID-19 when most young adults were more isolated than ever.
COURTESY OF TERRY MATLEN
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or young adults who have special needs, setting up a secure future is of utmost priority for many parents. That includes safe and inspirational housing where young adults can grow and become the best versions of themselves. Terry Matlen of Birmingham, whose 34-year-old daughter Mackenzie Matlen has special needs, struggled for years to find the right home for her child where she could be independent but also have support to succeed. “About 10 years ago, when Mackenzie was finishing up a posthigh school program, I was wondering, ‘OK, what’s her future now?’” Terry Matlen recalls. Though Mackenzie was working on vocational goals, the issue about where she was going to live in the future continued to press the Matlen family. “I’m not going to be here forever, and her father is not going to be here forever,” Terry explains. “I needed to set her up so that she is in a stable environment where I know she’ll be OK for the rest of her life.” Working with other parents facing the same concerns for their children who have special needs, who were steadily becoming young adults, a handful of moms developed a program known as an Integrative Neighborhood in 2014. Inspired by a similar neighborhood in Washtenaw County, where young adults who have disabilities could rent units and live together in small supportive “pods,” the parents built a like-minded community in Farmington Hills.
FUN ACTIVITIES At the Integrative Neighborhood, residents enjoy pool parties, pizza nights and even taking trips to places like Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum. “Before, continued on page 28
FROM TOP: James Pentis, Stanley Wolf and Jacob Barron, IN members at an outing at Marvelous Marvin’s in Farmington Hills. • James Pentis and Jacob Barron behind Community Builder Tonja Shellman. They are walking home from their social outing at Buffalo Wild Wings. • IN member Spencer Cohn stands behind parents, Melanie and Harry Cohn. Melanie is the president of the board and has taken on the hard work of making the first Integrative Neighborhood in Oakland County a reality. SEPTEMBER 9 • 2021
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