Colorado Intentional Communities Research Project

Key Findings: Demand, Risk, and Quality of Life

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Our research synthesized statewide data, property analysis, and insights from 258 stakeholders (including 37% self-advocate participation) to assess demand, risks, and policy solutions.

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• ​Strong Demand: 93% of surveyed stakeholders may or would like to live in an intentional community, citing the desire for accessible design, neuro-affirming culture, and built-in social connections.​

• Institutional Risk Defined by Experience: Risk is not about the size of a community. Stakeholders defined institutional characteristics as top-down control, lack of privacy, rigid schedules, and segregation from the broader community—emphasizing safety over independence.

• Housing & Financial Vulnerability: With over 95,000 Coloradans with I/DD living with family caregivers, and thousands of those caregivers over age 60, access to new housing options is urgently needed to prevent displacement and homelessness.

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Priority Recommendations for Colorado Leaders

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The report outlines concrete steps to guide policy and investment:

 

• Create a Dedicated Neuro-Inclusive Housing Funding Stream: Establish options like a state tax credit or I/DD housing trust to support development and on-site supportive amenities.

• Center Self-Advocate Leadership: Ensure self-advocate voices guide planning, design, and governance, using outcome-oriented evaluation over restrictive density limits.

• Embed Housing Strategies into the State’s Community Integration Plan: Proactively prevent displacement and re-institutionalization.

• Require Independent Evaluation: Certify that communities are not isolating or provider-controlled in ways that limit choice.

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Research Partners & Acknowledgment

The Inclusive Housing Coalition thanks the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council for funding and participating in this study, and Neuro-Inclusive Housing Solutions for conducting the research that centers self-advocate voices and turns powerful evidence into concrete policy pathways.