Neuro inclusive Apartment Building, THRIVE Red Bank Wins Approval from Red Bank Zoning Board

RED BANK, NEW JERSEY — THRIVE Red Bank, the first of its kind planned Neuro-inclusive Apartment Building for neurodiverse adults to be developed in New Jersey, received approval on September 7, 2023 from the Red Bank Zoning Board to move forward.

The approval paves the way for construction to begin on the three-story, 32-unit residential building at 273 Shrewsbury Avenue at Drs. James Parker Blvd., for a 2025 opening. THRIVE Red Bank will provide one-bedroom apartments for independent living for neurodiverse adults, with shared amenity space, including a teaching kitchen, common event space, health & wellness spaces, workout spaces and socialization areas.

“The greatest worry for any parent of a neurodiverse child is ‘What will happen when I can’t be there?” said Parents With A Plan Founder and co-developer of THRIVE Red Bank, Karen Fluharty, the mother of a neurodiverse 21-year-old son. “THRIVE Red Bank will the first of our initiatives to build capacity for innovative, person-centered solutions and create a marketplace of supportive housing options.”

Parents With A Plan is a Montville, New Jersey-based 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2019 to expand neuro-inclusive housing environments. Composed of parents, families, legal, and housing professionals with a shared interest in developing best in class solutions for young adults, the organization is dedicated to expanding capacity for supportive housing that fosters person-centered living environments throughout New Jersey.

THRIVE Red Bank NJ will demonstrate an innovative model of public-private partnership in collaboration with the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) that will create a new standard of excellence in supporting housing. Residents of this neuro-inclusive apartment building will benefit from the expertise of Rutgers senior clinical faculty and highly trained clinical staff while also providing opportunities for university students from a variety of academic disciplines to receive hands-on training and intensive supervision.

“The lack of acceptable housing options for neurodivergent people in New Jersey and throughout the U.S. represented a crisis for many adults and their families. Red Bank has an opportunity to be a leader in showing the world what a model compassionate, supportive community can look like,” said Christopher Manente, PhD., BCBA, Founding Executive Director of RCAAS. “The importance of THRIVE goes far behind improving the quality of life of the 32 residents that will live there. THRIVE will provide an example of a high-quality neuro-inclusive supporting housing property that demonstrates how everyone can succeed if given the right support and opportunities while simultaneously providing excellent hands-on training for university students towards the creation of a workforce of highly trained support staff to address the broader crisis for this population. In this way, THRIVE will provide a foundation for future residential communities throughout New Jersey and far beyond.”

As a walkable town with shopping, recreation, education, entertainment and more, Red Bank offers a unique location for THRIVE Red Bank, observed Robin Klein, developer/owner of THRIVE Red Bank.

“Red Bank also offers our future residents opportunities to gain meaningful local employment and, most critically, access to public transit, as many neurodiverse adults do not drive,” she said. “Red Bank provides the community and the quality of life and the ethos of giving, engaging, and inclusion that will be critical as these young adults move into independent living.”

THRIVE Red Bank was inspired by First Place AZ, a successful supportive housing community in Phoenix, Arizona, that serves a rapidly growing under-served population. One in 34 individuals in New Jersey is diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, and the state is well-known for having many excellent educational programs for school-age children. But many of those children fall off the “Services Cliff” when supports are drastically diminished at age 21. Currently, three in four of these autistic adults live with a family member, many of whom are now aging themselves.

“We are thrilled by the board’s decision, which will enable us to provide a first of its kind neuro-inclusive apartment building for our growing New Jersey neurodiverse population,” said John Klein, developer/owner of the project. “This ground breaking first of its kind supportive housing project will provide inherent benefits to its residents and the greater Red Bank community.”

For more information on the project, visit www.parentswithaplan.org.

About Parents With A Plan

We are a 501(c) (3) organization comprised of families, legal and housing professionals developing private, best practices solutions for neurodiverse young adults. We will do this by creating a place to call “home.” We believe each individual deserves a high quality of life and there is a growing need for developing neuroinclusive, consumer-controlled housing that foster person-centered living and working environments. Our group is dedicated to expanding capacity for housing and best by putting like-minded, professional industry leaders together to create solutions for the ever-growing “post 21” neurodiverse housing shortage. www.parentswithaplan.org.

About the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS)
The RCAAS is a center of the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). Since its creation in 2016, the RCAAS has provided life-changing services and support to over 200 adults on the autism spectrum to ensure that they have the opportunity to lead independent and fulfilling lives as members of their community. Simultaneously, the RCAAS has advanced innovative research and prepared hundreds of students to enter careers in support of this vulnerable population. Leveraging Rutgers’ vast resources, RCAAS offers a unique mixture of supportive programs within an inclusive university setting that enhances quality of life and increases success. RCAAS’s integrative service, research, and training program is unmatched anywhere. The Center serves as a model for organizations around the world to rise to the challenge of providing effective services to an ever-increasing number of adults with autism. The RCAAS exists to stand for autistic adults who are not always able to stand up for themselves and, whenever possible, to amplify the voices of those who can. rcaas.rutgers.edu

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