A prototype housing model designed to enable adults with developmental disabilities has proven successful and is expanding across Hamilton County. Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD) opened its first "Smart Living" home in 2020; now the county is investing $4 million in American Rescue Plan funding to build nine additional smart homes with the Smart Living System.
"The whole point of technology is to facilitate community integration," says Susan Brownknight, LADD CEO. "That yields a couple things. One, it yields dignity, and it yields the dignity of risk, which almost all of us who do not have a developmental disability, in many ways, take for granted — the opportunity to try things safely and engage the outside world, but to have staff available when and where needed, that is the end game for smart living systems."
The "Smart Living" concept allows people to live independently while still receiving necessary supports and services. Each home combines all kinds of smart technologies like toothbrushes that transmit brushing data, to a refrigerator that can track its contents and provide recipes, and sensors that can detect health emergencies.
"I love living in my house in this community, which this [is near the] neighborhood which I grew up in," says Matt Chaffin, who lives in LADD's first Smart Living home. "I am a member of the HOA board and I was a part of this original pilot from 2020 till now. I'm excited that my work will help other people."
Many of these services would typically be provided by a person staying in the home 24/7. Each house has access to 24-hour remote support, and some do include an in-person support staff member.
The nine new homes will be located in Colerain and Springfield townships and Hyde Park. The properties have already been procured, which LADD officials say was challenging in the current housing market. Additional funding was provided through private donations. The Cincinnati Development Fund is also partnering on the project to assist with construction financing.
Design work is underway, and they're slated to break ground in spring 2025, and be ready for residents to move in throughout 2027. Three homes will be new construction and six will be renovations. Each of the nine homes will have four residents (36 total residents).
LADD debuted its first smart home technologies in 2019, and expanded it a year later. According to the agency, "LADD's tech-enabled Smart Living supports have safely decreased staffing by 65%, while increasing independence."
The homes are grouped in sets of three or more located within a five-mile radius of each other. They're strategically located in walkable neighborhoods near bus lines so people can shop and get to work. LADD currently operates six Smart Living homes in Blue Ash and Anderson Township.
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The pilot project included every type of smart technology you can think of. Brownknight says some were less effective than others, but they wanted to try everything to see what made the most sense.
"After [testing] over 110 items of technology, we have really whittled it down to a dozen or more pieces of technology that actually make the difference in somebody's life," Brownknight explains.
There are stoves that can cool instantly to prevent burns; sensory rooms to help residents modulate emotions; even bed sensors if a person has seizure issues. All the technology can be customized the the people living in the house.
Residents can get reminders to take medications, scheduling assistance, or request help via video chat from tablets in the homes. There are also sensors that detect movements, allowing off-site monitors to determine if help is needed. Wearable technologies like smartwatches enable people to go out into the community and still have access to supports they may need.
You can take a virtual tour of the Smart Living Home here.
The technology is designed to fit into the homes seamlessly; they look the same of other homes, inside and out.
LADD's program was recognized in February 2023 by Zero Project, an international organization backed by the United Nations and tasked with pursuing the goals of Article 32 of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Hamilton County commissioners call the smart home concept cost-effective and say they'd like to see the smart home concept expanded around the state.
"The benefits are tremendous for the individuals that will live in the homes and their families that will now have their adult children living independently in these homes," says Board Vice President Denise Driehaus.
"This is a national model," says Board President Alicia Reece. "This is something that could be huge."
Earlier this year, an agency in Kansas announced it plans to implement LADD's Smart Living Systems program in at least two communities.
