Solutions from the Ground Up
Innovative Services of Green Bay, Wisconsin, had only eight weeks to find community-based housing for four developmentally disabled individuals with physical disabilities.

That’s when Allen Ray, CEO of Cambridge Care, which operates Innovative Services, called Tim Vogel at Scioto, a housing service that buys and modifies existing homes and, when necessary, oversees construction of new homes for service providers. Scioto’s purchase of homes allows service providers to keep working capital free for service programs.

" Scioto had already purchased six or seven built homes for us to house consumers in,” he says. “We knew we needed a house built to specifications and we didn’t have the construction and technical expertise. But we knew Scioto had the know-how we needed and could bring this to pass quickly.”

Scioto worked with Innovative and local builder Perrett Homes to come up with a suburban neighborhood building site, floor plan and other design elements. Scioto oversaw Perrett Homes’ work.

In the meantime, with Scioto’s wholehearted support, the Innovative staff kept the consumers and their families in the loop, taking them to see construction progress at various stages. The house amazingly was completed in seven weeks. “The individuals and their families couldn’t be more thrilled,” Ray says.

The new home greatly improves life quality for its residents; beside better access to the day-to-day conveniences that a home should provide, it gives them better access to community resources. “Building to specifications also allows us to provide a home that will meet the needs of its residents for the long run, so they can have the benefit of aging in-place,” Ray says.

Ray also believes the partnership with Scioto can serve Cambridge Care’s long-term business and service goals. “When we think of housing people with disabilities, Scioto is our first choice,” he says.