Callawegians hear about upcoming Fulton inclusive community

Anakin Bush/Fulton Sun
Ann Wilkinson begins her presentation about WeBuilt communities and her non-profit, Next Step Strategies.
Anakin Bush/Fulton Sun Ann Wilkinson begins her presentation about WeBuilt communities and her non-profit, Next Step Strategies.

Citizens from across Callaway County gathered Friday to learn more about the WeBuilt community coming to Fulton.

An informational meeting was held at the Callaway County Chamber of Commerce by Fulton local Nancy Hanson, who is constructing a WeBuilt community in the city.

A WeBuilt community is a space where individuals with special needs can live independently in separate homes with neighbors and staff who are sensitive to their needs and are able to support them.

The Fulton community will be located on eight acres of land behind Tractor Supply. It is currently a wooded area, but construction will begin soon. Hanson has the area under contract and is set to close in October.

Attending the meeting were two special guests for the project. Ann Wilkinson, the President of Next Step Strategies, Inc. and the founder of the original WeBuilt community in Oregon, was in attendance to discuss the project. Next Step Strategies Community Manager Alaina Maria was also in attendance for discussion.

Wilkinson said she created the WeBuilt community for her special needs son who was abused in foster care, and she wanted him to live as independently as possible.

What started as a plot of land with water-filled ditches and an old farmhouse in Clackamas, Oregon, has transformed into a thriving community. There are currently 16 special needs residents in the community, with a total of 25 people living on-site. Wilkinson said there is a waitlist of around 300 people for the WeBuilt community, and openings do not last long before they are filled again.

The Clackamas community consists of 23 houses and a large party barn that serves as a gathering space for residents. The whole space cost $2.6 million to make, and has a current evaluation at $7.4 million.

Each house is personalized to the individual living there and their needs. One house for example is themed around trains, while another includes a "cat highway" for a resident's pet cat to travel around the house.

Prior to starting the Fulton WeBuilt community, Hanson visited the Clackamas community.

"When asked what the Fulton community should do different, they said make it bigger," Wilkinson said.

The blueprints and plans used for the Clackamas community will be used as a base for the Fulton community, which will speed up the construction process.

All ages and levels of capability are welcome at WeBuilt. The Clackamas community has members ranging from 19-50. Residents will not "age out" of the facility, and can stay there until their death.

Levels of functionality range from low to high, Wilkinson said. She said they adapt to the challenges presented to them in a manner that makes them feel independent.

"We don't give any direction, we only give choice," Wilkinson said.

The cost for the Fulton community has not yet been decided. There will be a buy-in fee, which will be roughly around $120,000, Wilkinson said. A monthly fee will include cable, internet, meals, utilities and activities. That fee is $500 a month for Clackamas.