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Clients and neurodiversity advocates urge council to approve Gateway housing
Summary
Clients, neurodiverse residents and advocates told the council Gateway-provided housing and nearby affordable units would support independence, job training and dignity; several speakers described personal experiences of housing insecurity and long ties to Gateway.
Multiple speakers spoke in favor of the proposal because of Gateway’s supportive services and the benefits of housing close to on-campus programs. Bradley Armstrong Blanks (speaker 10), who said he has been connected to Gateway for decades, described living in Gateway-built housing and thanked the organization for support.
An advocate identifying herself as Claire told the council that "having affordable and inclusive housing, especially close to places that understand our needs, like the Gateway Foundation is so incredibly important for people like me," and urged the council to consider neurodiverse residents’ need for stability and proximity to services. Other advocates and clients recounted long personal ties to Gateway and asked the council to weigh the potential benefits for neurodiverse people and the local workforce in their decision.
Supporters emphasized job-training, life-skills programming and Gateway’s history in the community as reasons to approve housing that would allow greater independence for participants.
