Nonprofit Bridge 21 welcomes neurodiverse adults into their new home

House cookies served at Bridge 21's open house. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — Saturday was the first day for the first residents to move into a first-of-its-kind, accessible house opened by nonprofit Bridge 21 for the neurodiverse community. The organization strives to provide a place and space in the world for people who lose services when they turn 21 years old by bridging their lives into a meaningful adulthood.

Four young adults proudly call their single-family house “home” after holding a community open house on Wednesday and then moving in. This forward-thinking concept could replicate many times over in Park City, while already garnering interest as a model by similar communities.

The house’s design features include:

Cognitive Accessibility

• Smart technology
• Accessible signage
• Easy to clean, durable materials

Safety

• Doorbell camera
• Auto-locking doors
• Induction stovetop (auto-off stovetop)
• Smart detectors – smoke, CO2, water leaks
• Personal emergency response system
• Equipment to support telehealth access

Sensory needs

• Sensory room
• Increased insulation for noise reduction
• Natural light and Biophilic design

Bridge 21 executive director and Co-Founder Stephanie Polukof, an occupational therapist by trade, told TownLift, “I’ve done a ton of research to land on the right model for this. I’ve been to Arizona, California, and Texas, and I haven’t seen supported living for people with developmental disabilities in a house like this one. It’s hard to find out if this one is the first in the country, but we do know it’s the first in Utah. There are fantastic places like The Hub in Salt Lake City however that’s apartment-style living, very different than this.” 

Supportive Independence Programming includes:

• Daily staff check-ins
• Assistance with house management + schedules
• Weekly family-style dinners
• Health + wellness
• Community service projects
• Life skills classes in nutrition, safety, relationships

Polukof continued, “This is my dream job. Thank you so much to all of these people here today at this open house and many others physically, emotionally and financially who’ve given so much to this project without whom none of this would be possible. My gratitude is huge and I am very thankful.”

Wess Stout and Clay Weldon are two of the four Bridge 21 co-founders and the fouresome is rounded out by Liza Howell. 

“A goal of Bridge 21 is to provide alternatives to people graduating into their parents basement,” Howell said. “We have the scaffolding in place here to help them be as independent as possible. Thanks to some generous individual donors, a grant from a foundation and we’re so happy to celebrate this move-in day.” 

The founders formed this vision seven years ago when they were all parents and board members of the National Ability Center. With the blessing and assistance of the NAC they’ve have taken many of the successful concepts throughout the community and are running with them into a bright future.

Bridge 21 owns the house wherein the four residents sign a lease, alongside a cosigner, for up to a year for their room. Then they make monthly rent payments, utilize Park City Transit/Park City Mobility, follow a chore chart, have a glass of wine if they so choose, after all, they are over 21, and do all the things residents do. With no pets being about the only house rule. 

Ava Jennings, 22, is one of the residents now living in this new construction house, she told TownLift, “I feel very happy about moving in to this beautiful Bridge 21 house. It’s really cool to see the first people moving in to this house, some of them are my friends and some of them will be my new friends.” The Park City High School prom queen attended Utah State University, works at Deer Valley Resort, and also at Clockwork Cafes. Not unlike any other young person, when asked what she’s most looking forward to about living in her new house she said, “Decorating my room just how I like it.” And when asked what she’s looking forward to the least she said, “Sweeping and  mopping.” 

The residents have hobbies, many recreate via Special Olympics of Utah’s  Park City Mountaineers Team. They also get jobs, often through the services of entities like Elevate Career Services. 

Howell said, “Lucky Ones Coffee Shop for example has 60 people on a wait list ready, willing, and able to work there illustrating how more employment opportunities are needed throughout the community. Businesses around Park City can contact us at Bridge 21 to let us know they have space or ask us what that could look like, that’s one of the most important things we can do for our neurodiverse friends.”

Residents hail from other states including Arizona, South Carolina for now but applications oportunities are broud reaching as this concept becomes more well-known.

Volunteer opportunities for Parkites:

• Helping with weekly family-style dinners for the house, once or recurring
• Help tend the garden plots in the Summit Community Gardens 
• Coach financial literacy sessions
• Demonstrate cooking recipes
• Perform fitness activities
• Give art classes

For these or other ideas, skills you may have, email meredith@Bridge21ParkCity.com.

Click here to consider personalizing a commemorative brick that will be engraved with your message and permanently displayed at Bridge 21’s first house. Pavers between four inches and eight inches range in a donation cost between $100 and $200. 

There are plans for further growth for Bridge 21 to include the potentiality of a pocket neighborhood next. If the more than 100 members of the Park City community-at-large who’ve stopped by the open house event with tears of joy and hearty high-fives are any indication, they’re off to a great start.