New High Needs Report
September 2026
People with I/DD and high support needs are left behind due to system failure- data-driven solutions are possible.
Reimagining Home: Residential Solutions for Coloradans with I/DD and High Support Needs brings together data from Coloradans who need at least 24/7 support, three data-driven housing concept plans, and a roadmap of policy changes to build them.
This study was led by Neuro-Inclusive Housing Solutions, the Inclusive Housing Coalition, and the Autism Housing Network, a project of Madison House Autism Foundation, with funding from the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council. Together, these organizations brought research, lived experiences, and housing expertise together to identify actionable solutions for Coloradans with I/DD and high support needs.
What We Found
Thousands of Coloradans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who need round-the-clock support live with aging parents, with no plan for what comes next.
A new report from Neuro-Inclusive Housing Solutions, the Inclusive Housing Coalition, and the Autism Housing Network, funded by the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, shares data from 73 Coloradans with at least 24/7 support needs, three re-imagined housing models, and the policy changes needed to make them real. A 3-page plain-language summary is also available.
Predictable crises we can prevent
Across Colorado, parents in their sixties, seventies and eighties are providing around-the-clock care to adult children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and high support needs. Most have no respite, no crisis safety net, and few housing or support options built for their loved one's needs.
When a family caregiver can no longer provide care, without other options adults with I/DD may be boarded for days, weeks, or months in a hospital at nearly $1,900 a day. These are not isolated tragedies. They are predictable system failures, and this report shows how Colorado can prevent them—from crisis containment to proactive investment.
Inside The Report
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Who needs support, and how much: support levels, daily life, caregiver age, crisis history, and the behavioral and medical needs that require specially trained staff.
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What people want: preferred service delivery models, living arrangements, housing types, homeownership, and the supports families value most.
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The crisis pathway and its cost: what happens when a family caregiver can no longer provide care, and what Colorado saves by planning ahead.
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Unique challenges in Colorado: reimbursement rates, workforce shortages, billing limits, and housing barriers that keep providers from saying yes.
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Three data-driven concept plans: each with a resident story, floor or site plans and the policy changes needed to build it.
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Recommendations: across data and planning, long-term support services, health and crisis management, and housing and community development.
Learn More
This study represents an important step toward understanding and addressing the urgent need for safe, affordable, and supportive housing for Coloradans with I/DD and high support needs. By grounding solutions in data and the lived experiences of individuals and families, it provides a roadmap for meaningful change and a foundation for a more inclusive future.
Learn more about the study and its findings: Autism Housing Network
The study is led by Desiree Kameka Galloway of Neuro-Inclusive Housing Solutions with the help of the Inclusive Housing Coalition and the Autism Housing Network.
A big thank you to the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council for funding this important study.
The Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Grant No. 2401COSCDD totaling $1,178,610.00, 100% from federal funding. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.