Blue Spruce Community was conceived by parents of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to address a large and growing shortage of available housing that is appropriate for our children. In Colorado, it is typical for an adult child to be on a housing waiting list for over 15 years and still have no certainty as to when or where they will be able to live. Like many families with IDD in Colorado, the parents of the intended Blue Spruce Community residents are all over 60 years of age and are faced with a future of uncertainty for our children on this essential element of life – where our children will live.
People with IDD and their guardians are challenged by a lack of appropriate housing that fosters ongoing independence. Given the aging population of both the guardians and the IDD population, which is a result of the baby boomer trend, both the state of Colorado and the United States are faced with a rapid and sustained increase in housing demand. For various reasons, housing that is specific for this population is already insufficient and projected to become a crisis over the next 10 years.
The founders of Blue Spruce are committed to providing members with IDD a choice in where they live that will meet their needs now and into the future.
In Colorado, 72% of the IDD population still lives with their family and of those family members, 20% are above the age of 60! The waitlist in Colorado exceeds 15 years!
