A report released last month aims to be a resource for the housing industry, service providers, policymakers, researchers, residents, and other stakeholders for how to best serve the housing needs of adults with autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD).

A Place in the World: Fueling Housing and Community Options for Adults with Autism and Other Neurodiversities was released by First Place AZ and Autism Housing Network, nonprofit organizations that support housing options for adults with IDD. It includes more than 150 terms to help people better understand housing preferences, accessibility needs, supportive amenities, service delivery models and more. By defining common terms, market segments, and best practices, the hope is to drive partnerships and policy decisions to address housing needs.

“We get daily pleas from desperate autistic adults facing homelessness and senior caregivers who just can’t support their loved ones’ needs anymore,” said Desiree Kameka Galloway, report co-author and director of Autism Housing Network. “They don’t know their options, and the reality is they often must choose between the next empty bed 100 miles away or homelessness.”

Straightforward definitions for housing features, amenities, locations, price points and economic realities are included in the report with the intent to provide a common starting point for developers, funders, and support services.

“We have united to take a critical step toward fueling a marketplace of options while recognizing the historic disconnect among prospective residents and their families, service providers, housing developers and policy officials struggling to address demand based on vastly different experiences and points of reference,” Kameka Galloway said.