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Community

Construction Begins on Homes for People with Special Needs

WVIK

By next summer, over a dozen local residents with special needs will be living in new homes. Today, Arc of the Quad Cities held a groundbreaking for three group homes in Rock Island and Moline.


The $3.8 million project includes five handicapped accessible group homes, each with 6 bedrooms for up to 8 people. And the agency will provide around-the-clock supervision.

Arc director, Kyle Rick, says the housing project is part of a statewide effort to integrate disabled residents into their cities and towns.  

"We all have developed a better sense of what it means to live in community, and as a result, we recognize that living in a home in a neighborhood is much more compatible with that goal."

25-year-old Michael Johnson has lived at Arc's Heritage 53 Residence in Moline for two years. Over 50 people live there, and he's excited to move to what he calls, "an ordinary neighborhood."

"Heritage has its ups and downs...staff leaving...not enough funding. It's hard, but this will be a new change for me and I'm looking forward to it."

Arc of the Quad Cities currently owns nine group homes and serves 350 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Construction on the first three homes should be finished by next June. The other two will be built later.

Renata Sago is WMFE's general assignment reporter and occasional Morning Edition anchor. She covers everything from major political campaigns and unemployment to civil rights legislation and the performing arts for WMFE and NPR.