OARacle Newsletter

Through the cooperative efforts of a parents group, a developer, and Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS), a one-of-a-kind neuro-inclusive apartment building will open in early 2027, according to an August press release about the groundbreaking. Located in Red Bank, NJ, the three-story, 34,000-square-foot residential building, THRIVE Red Bank, will provide 32 one-bedroom apartments for independent living.

The first floor will include community space, a teaching kitchen, health and wellness space, and a sensory space. The building will have low voltage lighting, floor drains in the bathrooms to prevent flooding, and faucets and ovens that shut off automatically if left on, among other features to accommodate residents, as reported in Disability Scoop. Five of the units will be affordable housing, while the other units will be private pay.

The building is a dream realized for Karen Fluharty. Fluharty looked at dozens of supportive housing program for her now 23-year-old neurodivergent son, Ryan, after he reached age 21, when he would no longer be eligible for state services. When she found nothing that was right for Ryan, she realized he need a place he could call home, a place with trained professionals to help neurodivergent adults with moderate support needs.

That led her to fund Parents With A Plan, a nonprofit with parents, families, and legal and housing professionals coming together to develop solutions for young neurodiverse adults. Fluharty, worked with developers John and Robin Klein on the plan for THRIVE Red Bank, according to an article on njfamily.com. “The keys were safety, walkability, transportation, access to health care and education, and opportunities for volunteering work and the arts,” said Robin Klein, general partner of THRIVE and Parents With A Plan founding board member.

The Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) will provide on-site support services, noted the Disability Scoop article. A Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services employee will be there Monday through Friday as a resource for the 32 residents and their families, “to ensure they’re getting the support they need and meeting the life outcomes they hoped to achieve,” said Christopher J. Manente, executive director of RCAAS. A 24/7 support person will live in a ground-floor studio apartment.

Potential residents must apply and be evaluated by RCAAS to determine if the program is a fit.

“Beyond that it will be like any other one-bedroom apartment in the area. I think that’s very important.” noteed John Klein, managing partner of Thrive Red Bank, who has decades of executive experience in real estate development.

“Failing to plan for Ryan’s future was not an option, and that led to where we are today,” Fluharty said. “It’s not too much for my son to be happy, to be safe, to be as independent as he can be. And this supportive housing innovation will help create data-based outcomes to help change policy.”

Sherri Alms is the freelance editor of The OARacle, a role she took on in 2007. She has been a freelance writer and editor for more than 20 years.