Dear Community,

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (MMJCCM) and Partners4Housing announced a partnership in May to launch an online Benefits And Housing Review tool**,** to offer a comprehensive solution that allows families with loved ones with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), to find compatible roommates and create a shared living home.

Partners4Housing, a Seattle-based mission-driven for-profit organization, operates an online Benefits And Housing Review process and roommate matching portal to help families find roommates with compatible interests and shared values. The by-invitation portal facilitates a search of pre-screened participants by location, age, gender, activities, preferences, and support needs.

MMJCCM, a New York City-based non-profit organization, received a grant from the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) to bring Partners4Housing’s services to New York. The grant has allowed Partners4Housing to train MMJCCM staff members to carry out the work of the Benefits And Housing Review process. This partnership will launch this spring with New York City-based families, in hopes to grow to include families in Long Island and Westchester and eventually across the state. Partners4Housing plans to replicate this process and model with other organizations around the country that serve the I/DD community.

“I’ve been following Partners4Housing’s progress for years,” says Allison Kleinman, the Director of the Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Special Needs at MMJCCM. “Finding or creating the right housing is extremely overwhelming. The P4H Benefits And Housing Review and the roommate matching pool strengthens our mission to connect our community and help our families prepare for the future."

The Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Special Needs at MMJCCM builds and nurtures an inclusive and accepting community where individuals with disabilities and their families have opportunities to make meaningful connections to each other and their communities. They serve as a catalyst and leader for transforming the ways in which the community at large understands and interacts with people with different abilities.

“Housing is the foundation for a good life,” says Pam Blanton, Founder and CEO of Partners4Housing and veteran of 27 years working in special needs housing. “It’s hard enough for families to transition their loved one to independent living. Having clear steps and compatible roommates makes it easier. Partnering with organizations like the MMJCCM is a win-win. They add valuable in-state expertise and connections to our process, and in return can offer their members so much more. My goal is to share what I’ve learned about navigating special needs housing with families in all 50 states by partnering with more organizations.”

Shared living reduces the individual expense of housing and care, making it available to a wide range of incomes, and also reduces loneliness and isolation, a big concern for parents of adults with disabilities. Please see below for additional information and resources:

○ Click here to watch the pre-recorded Partners4Housing overview video

○ Partners4Housing website

We look forward to partnering and bringing Partners4Housing to New York!

Sincerely,

Pam Blanton

Founder and CEO of Partners4Housing

Allison Kleinman

Director of the Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Special Needs at MMJCCM

To sign up for a Benefits And Housing Review: https://signup.partners4housing.com/p/JCC