Commissioners praise Our Stomping Ground site visit, highlight accessible design and social supports

Commissioner Justin Bner gave a detailed briefing on a June 3 tour of an Our Stomping Ground (OSG)–affiliated affordable housing site on Columbia Pike, praising the building’s accessibility, on-site amenities and community programming.

Bner described the property as a converted Presbyterian church developed by a firm referenced in the transcript as "True Ground," with fully accessible unit layouts and wide laundry rooms that allow a 360-degree turn for wheelchair users. He said apartments were designed to be affordable to residents using DD waivers, SSI and some voucher programs and highlighted social features such as on-site piano and art lessons, book clubs, and shared community kitchens.

Bner framed OSG as offering alternatives to congregate group homes by enabling people to live independently or with a chosen roommate while accessing wraparound supports. "It’s a different way of living where we are living either by ourselves or with a roommate of our choosing," he said, noting that the model preserves social networks and helps avoid the isolation that often follows aging out of public school services.

Commissioners discussed scheduling regular site visits to OSG locations in Arlington, noting that OSG also operates in neighboring jurisdictions and that a monthly tour schedule could be used for commissioner familiarization and public meeting purposes. The commission planned to incorporate site visits into its outreach work and to invite grantee organizations to public events at the county fair.

Sources: Justin Bner presentation and Q&A at the Disability Advisory Commission meeting.