Bridge21 Park City

Bridge21ParkCity is a 501C3 organization founded in 2020 by two special needs parents, an occupational therapist, and an urban planner who realized the urgent housing needs for young adults with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) in our special mountain town. 

Our organization sprang out of a meeting with special needs parents hosted at the National Ability Center in 2018. We became the Park City Housing and Transition committee and sought to address the national crisis that was affecting local Park City families. 

Currently, 78% of adults with disabilities are living with aging parents or caregivers. This should not be so and reflects a lack of awareness and accommodations nationwide. Sadly, Park City was no different. Bridge21ParkCity exists to change that. 

When we embarked on this journey 5 years ago, many local families were moving away because of the lack of opportunity in regards to housing for their young adults with IDD. Park City is a welcoming oasis for families of children with special needs. The school district is very inclusive and the National Ability Center makes accessing recreation possible. However, time and again, these kids grow up to find their hometown doesn’t accommodate life as a young adult with disabilities. Until Bridge21, there was no city or county-wide plan to address housing for our population. After much work, awareness is growing, our families have hope that Park City is awakening to this crisis and as a town partnering with Bridge21, we can create a replicable model of supportive housing options that other cities can imitate. 

As we press forward to create housing options, we are building community in many ways. Buds & Blooms is our Community Gardening Initiative and our housing survey has been completed by almost 100 Park City residents. You can see Bridge21 in action by watching our Housing Solutions presentation, our Bridge21 Ambassadors speaking to the City Council, and Buds & Blooms participants blooming where they are planted! 

Please support Bridge21ParkCity. Your gift will go directly towards raising awareness locally while supporting the exorbitant cost of architectural fees, building materials, residential assistance, and supplemental activities such as life skills that create a thriving community of Life Without Limits.