Developing Cottage Home Neighborhoods
for Adults with Intellectual, Developmental
and Acquired Disabilities
We foster the development of accessible
neighborhoods for adults with intellectual,
developmental and acquired disabilities.
We also act as a catalyst and resource for
the creation of like communities by others.
The movement away from institutional housing created new problems in the long-term care of adults with disabilities. Now, government-supported group homes and individually-designed living arrangements tend to isolate people within a larger community.
What’s more...
They often cannot choose their roommates.
They are captive to rent increases.
They are dependent on the competence and goodwill of
facility owners and third party service providers.
Quality housing is scarce and waiting lists are common, so
moving to a better living situation is rarely a realistic
option.
These all become even more significant issues after
parents are gone.
The Cottage Foundation fosters the development
of pocket neighborhoods specifically intended
for adults with intellectual, developmental and
acquired disabilities, where families hold title to
their child’s home.
No other option provides this long term security and
permanent solution.
Here, adults with disabilities live safely and permanently with their peers, near family, friends, recreation and community services.
Families arrange the unique in-home services required for their family member, but the homeowners together share the planning and
costs of community services like overnight staffing, transportation assistance and recreational activities.
The homes in our urban communities are owned outright, with fee simple title granted to the family (or families) who purchase them.
The Cottage Foundation explores low-interest financing
options
to facilitate the development of urban cottage neighborhoods
for adults with disabilities. Loans are repaid
when homes are sold so we can fund development of
additional neighborhoods, indefinitely, throughout the US.
Arian Colachis Ms. Colachis has over 30 years of public, private and in-house legal experience in the financial services industry. She began her career at the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the regulatory and enforcement divisions followed by another six years of regulatory enforcement at various securities regulators here and abroad. Thereafter she worked in private practice, in- house as compliance counsel for a multi-billion-dollar asset management office and as General Counsel of two public companies, a large Pacific Northwest bank and late-stage life science public company. Since then, Ms. Colachis has continued to assist clients with corporate governance and proxy filing
Heather Kelsey Heather Kelsey is a Regional Stakeholder Liaison at Soleno Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing innovative therapies for rare diseases, beginning with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). She brings over 27 years of leadership experience in nonprofit fundraising, strategic planning, and advocacy. Before joining Soleno, Heather led a successful career as a nonprofit executive, partnering with a wide range of organizations to advance financial resource strategies and leadership capacity. Her expertise includes capital campaign consulting, strategic planning, grant research and writing, corporate communications, government affairs, and the development of advocacy initiatives. She has successfully leveraged federal loan programs and grant funding for capital expansion and improvement projects and affordable housing through USDA Rural Development, HUD, and ARPA. On the state level, Heather secured funding for innovative program and housing initiatives through the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, Community Preservation Act funding, and The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
Deborah Sinclair Deb is an RN who lives at Luna Azul with her daughter. She has worked as a Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse in various settings in New England, Illinois and Arizona, with a focus on Forensic Psych. She has coached Special Olympics, been the nurse for various group homes for the disabled, and was President of KidsRKids, a 501c dedicated to the education and support of the disabled in Central Illinois. She is currently the RN on call for the Luna Azul Community to provide care, support and education to residents and family members.
Ed Smith Ed is a semi-retired senior executive having worked with several national homebuilders responsible for numerous areas such as asset management, home construction, land acquisition, entitlement and development. Ed is presently a consultant working with several smaller homebuilders in the Greater Phoenix Area.
Jeffrey Miller, LL.M. CLCS Jeff owns and operates an Insurance agency specializing in commercial, professional and cyber insurance nationwide. He also currently owns and operates a Mediation and Dispute Resolution firm. He is a retired non-profit CEO after working 20 years in multiple cities and states. Prior to his non-profit work he was involved in multiple business ventures and start-ups. He has a Law Degree from the University of Liverpool with a Technology and Intellectual Property specialty.
Jill Mapstead Jill is a semi-retired consultant specializing in non-profit capacity building and sustainability with a focus on organizational lifecycles, governance, CEO-Board partnerships, and long-term collaborations. She began her career in Special Education, followed by a Masters degree in Industrial Psychology which led to a consulting career in technology instructional design, technical writing, organizational development, and process re-engineering. As a parent of a child with disabilities, Jill is an active advocate for their daughter and other families in Arizona, serving on boards of directors of organizations who provide services for the adult disabilities community.
Rob Lutz Rob Lutz is the father of a 25-year-old with disabilities who lives at Luna Azul. He is the Chief Operating Officer of Savara Pharmaceuticals, a late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing drugs for rare pulmonary diseases. Rob has been in the pharmaceutical industry for over 20 years serving in a variety of financial, businesses development, commercial, and operational roles. He has a BA from Amherst College in Economics & Computer Science and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management in Finance & Strategy. He also has experience with non-profit Boards, having served for 18 years on the Board of the Prader Willi Syndrome Association (a rare disease focused 501c3).
Kate Comtois Kate Comtois, PhD, MPH is a professor and clinical psychologist in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and director of the UW Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery and the Suicide Care Research Center – an NIMH-funded practice- based research center. Dr. Comtois’ career is dedicated to promoting the recovery of individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and behavior and the effectiveness and resilience of the clinical staff and families who care for them. This is the focus of her clinical work and training as well as her health services, treatment development, clinical trials, and implementation research.
Mark Roth Mr. Roth began practicing at a boutique corporate/securities law firm before becoming General Counsel to a publicly traded and diversified financial services company. Later he co-founded a registered investment adviser, helping grow it from $0 to over $1B in assets under management. Mr. Roth left his practice to shepherd the financing, design and construction of neighborhoods housing adults with disabilities.
Coley Shaan Amaro
Scott Boras Scott is a Broker Associate at Fathom Realty with more than 25 years of business and real estate experience. He has served as a senior financial executive at two real estate organizations, overseeing acquisitions, development, underwriting, capital sourcing, financial management, and operations. Scott spent several years in banking in New York and Los Angeles and began his career as a corporate lawyer at Latham & Watkins. Scott holds an MBA from The Wharton School, a law degree from the Pepperdine School of Law, and a BBA from Simon Fraser University in Canada.
Will Humble Will Humble is a long-time public health enthusiast and is currently the Executive Director for the Arizona Public Health Association (AzPHA). His 40 years in public health include more than 2 decades at the Arizona Department of Health Services, where he served in various roles including as the Director from 2009 to 2015. He continues it be involved in health policy in his role as the Executive Director for the AZPHA. Will is a believer in using evidence-based health policy to improve health outcomes and in leading and managing with emotional intelligence. Follow him on Twitter @willhumble_az
We have the opportunity to help empower and
provide a new quality of life. With your help
we’ll be building dream homes with your
donations year after year.
