New San Bruno Home Offers Independence for Adults With Developmental Disabilities

Community leaders gathered Monday to celebrate the opening of a new affordable housing project in San Bruno designed specifically for adults with developmental disabilities — a population facing a severe shortage of stable living options in San Mateo County.

The Huntington House, purchased by the Peninsula Health Care District for approximately $1.8 million, will provide long-term housing for six people. The project is a collaboration between the health care district, the nonprofit AbilityPath and the Golden Gate Regional Center, a publicly-funded nonprofit. It’s one of only a few of its kind on the Peninsula, joining another cooperative home in San Mateo.

Bryan Neider, CEO of AbilityPath and AbilityPath Housing, said the investment demonstrates that “housing is healthcare.”

“The healthcare district is fulfilling the highest claim in their charter, which is addressing the unmet needs of our most vulnerable residents,” Neider said. “They know that providing a stable home reduces emergency room visits and improves mental health.”

The home follows a cooperative living model where residents share communal spaces — including a kitchen, living room and a dedicated gaming or activity area — while maintaining five private bedrooms and one shared bedroom. Rent is capped at one-third of a resident’s income.

The opening comes at a critical time for the Bay Area, where the cost of living often makes independence nearly impossible for those on fixed incomes. According to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, there are more than 450,000 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the state, with many unemployed or who earn less than 30% of the area median income.

For 51-year-old Gabrielle Dedek, who has Down syndrome and was raised in the Bay Area, the wait for independence lasted nearly her entire adult life. Dedek lived with her parents before moving into a similar affordable apartment in Palo Alto with AbilityPath’s help last year. She said the transition allowed her to stay in her community while finally having a home of her own.

“I really do love my new home,” Dedek said. “I can never go back to the past. This is my future, and I’m staying and pushing to the future.”

Reggie San Pablo, a director with AbilityPath, noted that the average rent for a studio apartment in the region often exceeds the total monthly income for adults receiving Supplemental Security Income.

He said the cooperative model is a deliberate alternative to traditional apartment living, which can lead to social isolation. While the home does not provide 24-hour on-site staffing, residents receive 20 to 25 hours of weekly support through the organization’s Independent Living Skills program. This includes coaching on budgeting, meal planning, community participation and tenancy stability.

The organization also operates a dedicated employment branch that currently supports nearly 300 people in obtaining and keeping work, with jobs in tech, retail and administrative roles, helping them through the application and interview process.

Huntington House is also located only a few blocks from the San Bruno Caltrain station and SamTrans bus routes, a detail officials said was intentional to ensure residents can access jobs and community amenities independently.

San Bruno Councilmember Tom Hamilton, a parent of two children with developmental disabilities, noted that while the city works hard to address the housing crisis for all families, the specific needs of people with developmental disabilities are often overlooked.

“Housing is a human right,” Hamilton said. “We work very hard to address our housing crisis, but not enough is being done in this space.”

The Golden Gate Regional Center and AbilityPath will manage the upcoming application process, which includes support for move-in and setting cooperative living expectations.

Because of the high demand, officials expect to use a lottery system to select the six residents who will call Huntington House home. Residents are expected to move in within the next two months.

“Housing [is] a crisis, not just for Silicon Valley, but for our special needs community,” said Jennifer Wagstaff-Hinton, board chair for AbilityPath. “It’s unacceptable to say, ‘I can’t solve that problem.’ Just get it done.”