Patuxent Commons Opens To Address Housing Instability

COLUMBIA, MD — Leaders gathered this week to officially open the Patuxent Commons, a 76-unit apartment community is designed to address housing instability among low-income adults with disabilities, older adults, younger adults and families in Howard County.

Located at 6441 Freetown Road in Columbia, Patuxent Commons will "bridge connections across generations and abilities, creating an inclusive community where residents with disabilities can live as independently as possible," leaders said at a news conference.

Nineteen of Patuxent Commons’ 76 units are being rented to low-income residents with disabilities, while the remaining units are rented to older adults (30 units) and individuals and families (27 units).

“We are taking another step towards a more inclusive, compassionate and connected community. Years in the making, Patuxent Commons took a village to bring it to life. This intergenerational community represents the best of who we are. It represents the power of collaboration. It represents the possibilities that we can unlock when we dream boldly. And, most of all, it represents our compassion as a community,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball at the news conference.

Developed by 501(c)(3) nonprofit developer Mission First Housing Group and based on an intergenerational housing concept created by the nonprofit Autism Society of Maryland, backers hope that the project offers a solution to the housing crisis facing adults with disabilities that other communities can adopt.

“Patuxent Commons may be one project, but it embodies a vision that we are determined to see replicated,” said Melissa Rosenberg, executive director, Autism Society of Maryland. “Together with Mission First and our many partners and supporters, we’re demonstrating what’s possible when affordable housing truly includes people of all abilities.”

Positioned at the northeast corner of Cedar Lane and Freetown Road near transit, shopping, recreation and job opportunities, Patuxent Commons epitomizes what an age-friendly, or livable, community seeks to offer. In addition to helping facilitate the integration of residents with disabilities into the surrounding community and promoting their ability to live as independently as possible, Patuxent Commons also:

• Creates a neighbor-helping-neighbor concept by bringing together and promoting interactions between families with children, older adults and adults with disabilities, groups that are often segmented from one another.
• Features space inside and outside the building where residents of all ages and ability levels can enjoy events, occasions, programs, crafts, classes and more, together.
• Ensure residents are able to move about the county to live freely live their lives by being located shopping, restaurants, healthcare and on a public bus route. This is especially important, leaders noted, since driving may not be an option for some people with disabilities or older adults for physical, financial or other reasons.
• Offers lower priced rental apartments for older adults, which helps meet a growing need in Howard County. Many older adults want to remain in the county they have called home for decades, but the high cost of living on a fixed income makes that difficult. Surveys, including national surveys by AARP, show that more than 90 percent of older adults want to remain in their own homes or communities (that is, age-in-place or age-in-community); Howard County residents consistently express the same goals.

“Our new and innovative Patuxent Commons housing community is a ‘proof of concept’ development,” said Thomas A.K. Queenan, chief executive officer and president, Mission First Housing Group. “We are excited to open our doors to this long-awaited project that welcomes all abilities and incomes to a supported living environment. We expect this project will be a model for further developments where adults with disabilities, seniors and families can live together in an environment that encourages social connections through community-building events and services.”