New Dublin housing project creating new options for adults with disabilities

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) — There is a critical need for housing for adults with disabilities, and a new development in Dublin is trying to help tackle that problem and answer the plea from many parents and caregivers asking for a better way.

“What happens when we grow older, and he can no longer live with us, and he needs to move somewhere? What are his options?”

Those are the questions and anxiety Karen and Mike Brothers have tried to navigate for years to find a path for their son Robbie, who has autism. They said he thrived as a heavily involved student in Dublin City Schools, but when he graduated, it was hard to find that same sense of community.

“He is very social, although he can’t speak and communicate very well,” Mike Brothers said. “You have that [school community] one day and the next day, no more.”

Now in his 30s, Robbie lives in a small home with caretakers, but the Brothers said it was a long journey to get there. It’s a problem that hundreds of thousands of families must face, with little to no options.

More than 850,000 adults with intellectual disabilities live at home with caregivers who are 60 years or older. As the caregiver ages, it’s a weight on the families to ensure their child is housed in a stable and supportive living environment.

“Despite our best efforts, we’re not going to live forever, and what’s going to be best for him when we’re gone?” Mike Brothers said. “That’s the hard part, how do we set things up so he’s a part of a community?”

Even if it wasn’t the right fit for their son, the Brothers said they knew they needed to push for more to be done. With the help of other parents, local non-profit All Inclusive Living and several other organizations, All In Dublin was born.

“This is what we had looked for so long, but just couldn’t find,” Mike Brothers said. “It just wasn’t there.”

The apartment building will address the needs of adults with disabilities by being strategically located near transportation and grocery stores, while also being surrounded by neighbors who want to connect and support one another.

“We want this place not to be some island where folks go to live and never venture out,” All Inclusive Living Executive Director Mark Dunham said. “We actually want it to be a launch pad.”

The final development plan for All In Dublin is a four-story building with 75 units of affordable apartment homes. It will be built at the corner of Dublin Center Drive and West Dublin Granville Road.

The housing project will be the first of its kind in the Midwest, but it’s modeled after an identical community in Maryland. Dunham helped plan that project, too. He said they saw more than 2,400 applicants for just over 70 units.

“That speaks to the demand,” Dunham said. “We’re sure we’re going to have a similar demand here in Dublin.”

The project started as an idea with just a focus for adults with disabilities, but as plans evolved, it now also includes seniors and people of all ages who want to live independently while maintaining a neighborhood community. Twenty-five percent of the units will be set aside and made affordable for adults with disabilities; 40% will have a preference for older adults.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a disability or if you do not have a disability,” Karen Brothers said. “Your mental health thrives on having human connection, and everyone deserves human connection.”

Both Dunham and the Brothers hope the project in Dublin is just the beginning and will serve as a model for similar developments.

“Our hope is that many more will be built, so that it will benefit so many people,” Karen Brothers said.

Crews are expected to break ground this summer, with residents expected to move in by fall 2027. For more information on the development, click here.

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