Special Needs Residents Find A Home

Three Special Needs residents of Teton County will be moving into a new home thanks to the Teton County Housing Authority and a host of local residents.  Three years ago, the state of Wyoming had cut group home funding for Special Needs Individuals. Since that time, Jackson Resident Bill Warner has been on a mission to find a way for his son, Ty, and his friends Christopher Thompson and Collin Grande to continue living and working in the community where they grew up.  Then, almost a year ago, TCHA advertised the availability of two accessible homes in its new 5-2-5 Hall affordable neighborhood.  The homes are specifically designed for mobility, hearing and vision impaired individuals. Ty, Christopher and Collin submitted an application and were selected for one of the units through the TCHA lottery process. This opportunity started a journey that required Warner and the families to educate community members about the Special Needs population and their rights to equal access.  In the process, Warner says, skeptics turned into supporters as they learned about Ty, Collin, and Christopher, and their place as contributing members of the community. Warner says he believes their experience has been a true example of the saying, “It takes a village.”  The three young men are currently moving into that home.