Hi, my name is Susi. I've been a single mom of my daughter Gwen since she was 5. Gwen has autism and is currently 22, she was diagnosed when she was 18 and we had a really tough time for many years. She's one of the most intelligent people I know!

When she was 19, we tried independent living and it didn't go so well. She felt lonly and I felt guilty, but we needed a plan to launch. School wasn't working, jobs were hard to find or keep and things felt grim. We moved her out of her own apartment and into shared living with a few roommates in a house. Unfortunately they didn't mesh and a year later we had to move her out again.

In sharing my struggles I realized I was not alone. Many parents of young adults were having similar challenges. The options for many 20-30 year olds are stay at home, or rely on support from parents. How do we as parents balance our support to our children to give them the best chance?

I came up with an idea to build semi-supported housing using the brand new released Housing Design Catalogue in Canada. From the CMHC website - The designs prioritize energy efficiency, accessibility and livability. They have been developed by local architects and engineers to comply with regional building codes. The Catalogue helps municipalities, builders and homeowners build more homes, faster. It's ideal for encouraging gentle density and infill development.

I want to build a 6-plex unit and then create "soft" supports for the residents. A space that builds community and encourages shared spaces and has some mentorship that takes pressure off of parents. If we can get two plots of land side by side, we can build 12 units with the two parcels!! I'm ok to start small with one 6-plex and go from there.

The barrier is that I need funding to buy the land before I can apply for any loan programs for building. I have established this non-profit, Reimagine Housing Society, to start raising funds to purchase the land. The size of land I need will be likely over $2M and this is a project that will unfold over 2-3 years. Hopefully using the Housing Design Catalogue we will move through the permit phase faster and once I have the first 6-plex built, we can leverage that to purchase more property and expand the concept to seniors, people with disabilities and other margnlized groups who would like to build community and connection.

We have a builder, we have plans, we just need land. The overall project is estimated at $5M, but if I can get the land with fundraising, I feel like I can get funding for the build portion from other sources. I'm hopeful people will see the merit in this project and support us.