Ptarmigan Commons Community
A housing model that supports independence, connection, and lifelong belonging for people who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities
Life that Feeds the Soul
Parmigan Commons is a planned life-sharing community in Palmer, Alaska, where adults who experience developmental disabilities build meaningful lives together through shared work, creative expression, connection to nature, and relationships.
This neuroinclusive neighborhood will offer permanent homes where every person can age in place and is valued and supported in exploring and unfolding their unique potential.
Our Mission
To create wholeness for adults with developmental disabilities by nourishing social relationships, contributing to the community, and connecting to nature. Through rural lifestyles, artistic expression, and community participation, each person may more fully unfold their potential and lead a meaningful life.
A Different Vision of Community
Families often ask a difficult question: Who will care for my loved one when I am no longer able to?
Ptarmigan Commons was created as an answer to that question.
Inspired by the international Camphill movement and Alaska's own tradition of close-knit communities, Ptarmigan Commons offers more than housing. It offers belonging, purpose, and lifelong relationships in a community built around shared life.
Here, people are not clients or service recipients. They are neighbors, coworkers, artists, gardeners, friends, and valued members of a thriving community.
About Ptarmigan Commons
Lifesharing is a model of community where people live, work, celebrate, and grow together. Rather than separating support services from everyday life, lifesharing integrates meaningful relationships, purposeful work, and mutual support into the daily rhythm of the community. Residents and co-workers share meals, contribute to community life, participate in creative and agricultural work, celebrate seasonal traditions, and support one another as neighbors. This approach creates a sense of belonging that cannot be replicated through services alone.
What it is
- Real homes in real neighborhoods
- Designed with sensory, cognitive, and physical accessibility in mind
- Housing that works across a wide range of abilities
- Supports are individualized and follow the person, not the unit
What it is not
- Not a licensed facility or other institutional-like setting
- Not a traditional group home
- Not one-size-fits-all
- Not dependent on family caregiving alone
A Shared Solution
Families of adults with developmental disabilities worry about long-term care after they are no longer able to provide it. They want a secure, stable, and permanent environment with a guiding philosophy.
Inspired by Camphill
Following years of planning, Hope Community Resources and interested families plan to establish a life-sharing community in Palmer, Alaska, inspired by International Camphill life-sharing communities.
A Promise to Families
Ptarmigan Commons will provide meaningful relationships, equality, respect, and a peaceful environment so families know their loved ones are cared for in the ways they desire.
Uniquely Alaskan
The community will replicate the philosophy and practices of Camphill but build something uniquely suited to Alaska – rooted in the land, the culture, and the spirit of the Last Frontier.
Wholeness of Every Human Being
Each person possesses unique gifts, strengths, and potential. We honor every individual as a whole human being and create opportunities for those gifts to be recognized and developed.
Deliberate Reflection
Community life includes time for reflection, observation, learning, and personal growth. This practice helps deepen relationships and foster understanding.
Palpable Sense of Community
Strong communities are built through shared experiences. Residents and co-workers participate together in daily life, meaningful work, celebrations, and the care of the community.
Daily Life
Life at Ptarmigan Commons is built around a healthy daily rhythm that supports physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.
Meaningful Work
Residents contribute through activities such as gardening and food production, animal care, woodworking, fiber arts and weaving, community maintenance, and creative enterprises. Meaningful work builds confidence, responsibility, and purpose.
Arts & Creative Expression
Art is not an activity on the sidelines—it is woven into community life. Residents will have opportunities to participate in visual arts, fiber arts, theater productions, music and performance, and handcrafts and artisan work.
Celebrating Nature
Seasonal festivals, outdoor gatherings, and community traditions help cultivate gratitude, wonder, and connection to the natural world.
Spiritual Life
Ptarmigan Commons embraces a non-denominational spiritual foundation centered on gratitude, compassion, respect, and care for one another.
Community Living
A Place to Belong
Ptarmigan Commons is designed for adults with developmental disabilities who seek a meaningful, community-centered lifestyle. Residents may choose from a range of living arrangements based on their needs and goals, including assisted living, semi-independent living, and independent living opportunities.
Every resident is encouraged to participate in community life while maintaining personal choice and autonomy. Participation is voluntary, and individuals choose this lifestyle because it aligns with their interests, values, and aspirations.
Community members commit to a set of shared values that create a culture where everyone belongs.
- Mutual respect
- Inclusion
- Meaningful contribution
- Personal choice
- Shared responsibility
- Lifelong learning
Services & Supports
Ptarmigan Commons provides person-centered supports that are fully integrated into daily community life. Residents receive residential habilitation services within supportive, relationship-centered homes where assistance with daily living is woven naturally into the rhythms of community life. Day habilitation opportunities focus on purposeful activities that build skills, foster creativity, and encourage meaningful participation in the community. Residents are also supported in pursuing employment goals through supported employment services, including opportunities for self-employment and community-based enterprises. An artist studio and retail space will serve as a creative enterprise hub, offering residents the chance to create and sell artwork, handcrafted goods, and agricultural products while developing skills, confidence, and connections with the broader community.
Building a Community in Palmer
Ptarmigan Commons is planned for approximately 10–20 acres in the Palmer area.
The campus vision includes multiple residential homes, gardens and agricultural spaces, barn and animal areas, a community gathering hall, an artists' studio, a retail space, and walking paths and natural areas.
The physical environment will be designed to support connection, creativity, accommodation, and a lifelong sense of home.
Peace of Mind for the Future
Families consistently express the same concern: What happens when I'm no longer here?
Ptarmigan Commons is being built to provide a permanent, stable, and caring community where loved ones can thrive throughout adulthood.
Our goal is not simply to provide services—it is to create a lifelong home where residents are known, valued, and surrounded by meaningful relationships.
Families can feel confident knowing their loved ones will continue to experience:
- Genuine friendships
- Purposeful daily activities
- Personal growth opportunities
- A stable and supportive environment
- Respect for individual choice and dignity
- Long-term continuity of care and community
Why Ptarmigan Commons Matters
Alaska has many dedicated disability service providers, but not every individual thrives in traditional service models.
Many adults with developmental disabilities seek deeper social connections, opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their community, a stronger sense of belonging, and long-term community stability.
Ptarmigan Commons addresses these needs by creating an intentional community where support is embedded within relationships and shared life.
More Choices for Adults with Disabilities
People thrive in different environments. Ptarmigan Commons expands the range of options available in Alaska by offering a community-centered lifestyle rooted in participation, contribution, and mutual support.
Security for Families
Parents and caregivers need confidence that their loved ones will have a safe and meaningful future. Ptarmigan Commons offers a long-term vision designed to provide that assurance.
A Better Model for Support Professionals
The lifesharing model emphasizes relationship-building, reflection, and personal growth alongside traditional support services. Staff and co-workers become active participants in community life, helping create a richer experience for everyone involved.
Looking Ahead: Building a Sustainable Future
The development of Ptarmigan Commons will require collaboration among families, housing developers, service providers, advocates, and funders. When housing, supports, and community are aligned, outcomes improve for everyone.
This model represents a long-term investment in dignity, independence, and belonging—one that supports people with I/DD not just today, but for the rest of their lives.
Share Your Voice and Lived Experience
People with I/DD, families, and caregivers are encouraged to share what home, safety, independence, and community mean to them. These insights will directly inform housing design, support models, and community priorities.
Help Shape the Vision
Community members and neighbors can help define what it looks like to live well together—how homes are arranged, how shared spaces are used, and how the community stays connected to the surrounding area.
Build Partnerships
Sustainable neuro-inclusive housing requires collaboration among families, service providers, housing developers, local organizations, tribal partners, and funders. Identifying shared goals early helps align resources and reduce long-term barriers.
Explore Funding and Policy Pathways
Funders, policymakers, and advocates can help identify capital, operating, and service funding opportunities, as well as zoning or policy considerations that support small-scale, community-based housing models.
Stay Engaged as Planning Progresses
Participants are invited to stay involved through future listening sessions, advisory groups, or project updates. Ongoing engagement ensures the community remains person-centered, transparent, and responsive as plans take shape.
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