John and Kathy Ohman of Dennis.
DENNIS – The local nonprofit group Friends Or Relatives With Autism And Related Disabilities, or FORWARD, recently finalized plans to build a special home for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, notching another step in the right direction for the project.
The proposed duplex-style home will be built along 4.9 acres of land behind Hokum Rock, and will house up to eight adults. It will allow adults with developmental disabilities an opportunity to have a sense of place and normalcy.
“This home will provide first floor living that will allow people to age in place, and move into a home,” said FORWARD President Kathy Ohman.
In 2015, Dennis voters approved $500,000 in Community Preservation Funds to be used for the project. The current plans estimate a final cost of about $1.5 or $1.6 million, so the next step in the process is fundraising.
“We’re excited to have our plans finalized and we’re in the middle of fundraising to be able to put a shovel in the ground late this fall or early winter,” Ohman said.
If construction begins in the group’s timeframe, it’s possible for the home’s first residents to move in by next summer.
By MIKE DEFINA, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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