Finding an affordable home isn't easy. Now imagine finding a place to live if you have a developmental or intellectual disability. Despite that challenge, Hunter Sargent and his wife, Holly, achieved the dream of homeownership three years ago.
"That's the first rule in a marriage you know if you don't have to you don't want to live with your in--laws," said Hunter Sargent.
For Sargent, achieving homeownership was more challenging than for most people.
"I have fetal alcohol syndrome and growing up with that people said that, 'oh, they're not going to be able to get married, they're not going to be able to drive, they're not going to be able to do anything,'" he said.
But Sargent was determined. He wants others to know that if he can do it, so can they. That's why he was a panelist at a recent forum on housing for people with developmental disabilities. ARC Greater Twin Cities hosted the forum in Brooklyn Center to help people learn about the options.
"We're bringing together a variety of different people to learn more about funding resources about community resources and about affordable housing options," ARC spokesperson Deb Reisner said.
In the metro area, the average one-bedroom apartment can consume up to 94 percent of a person's social security disability income.
"Which doesn't leave much for food and all the other things that we all need," said Reisner.
Hunter and Holly Sargent want people to know that there are resources to help with housing issues.
"I hope to tell people and parents that you know, their son or daughter or child, that their loved one with a disability can be successful like us," Hunter Sargent said. "For every I can't or every I won't there's an I can and an I will. I feel like not just Hunter Sargent a man with fetal alcohol syndrome. I feel like Hunter Sargent a strong community leader."
ARC hopes this will be the first in a series of forums to help people with housing solutions for people with disabilities. For more information go to www.arcgreatertwincities.org.
Neil Pursley, reporting
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