Building the Community
See how Ptarmigan Commons is being thoughtfully designed to support connection, independence, creativity, and lifelong belonging in the Mat-Su Valley
In the Heart of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Ptarmigan Commons is envisioned as an intentional, life-sharing neighborhood in the Palmer area where adults who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities can enjoy the stability of a permanent home while remaining connected to the broader Mat-Su community. The goal is to create a community on approximately 10–20 acres that balances shared living, meaningful activity, and the beauty of Alaska's natural landscape.
The campus will feature a variety of homes designed to accommodate changing needs over time, allowing residents to remain in the home and community as they age. Shared gardens, greenhouses, agricultural spaces, and animal areas will provide opportunities for learning, contribution, and daily engagement, while walking paths and open green spaces will encourage recreation and connection to nature.
Community life will be centered around welcoming gathering spaces where neighbors can share meals, celebrate holidays and traditions, attend educational programs, and enjoy music, art, and other creative activities. Dedicated studio and workshop spaces will support artistic expression, woodworking, and arts and crafts, and a small retail space may provide opportunities to share handcrafted goods and agricultural products with the broader community.
Just as important as the campus itself is its connection to the surrounding region. Ptarmigan Commons is designed to be part of—not separate from—the greater Mat-Su community. Residents will continue to participate in everyday life through employment, volunteer service, worship, healthcare, shopping, libraries, recreation, movie theaters, arts and cultural events, and other opportunities throughout Palmer, Wasilla, and beyond. With Anchorage just a short drive away, residents will also have access to the educational, cultural, medical, and recreational resources the region has to offer. Rather than creating an isolated campus, Ptarmigan Commons seeks to foster meaningful connections both within the neighborhood and throughout the Mat-Su Valley and greater Alaska.
While the campus design will continue to be refined as planning progresses, the guiding philosophy and life-sharing model for Ptarmigan Commons have been established through years of research, learning from successful intentional communities, and collaboration with partners. Every element of the community is being thoughtfully designed to create a welcoming place where people can live with purpose, build lasting relationships, and truly feel at home.
What Ptarmigan Commons is
- An intentional, life-sharing neighborhood designed for lifelong community living
- A collection of homes within a welcoming neighborhood
- Housing that adapts to each person's unique abilities, goals, and support needs
- Individualized supports that follow the person—not the home
- A community where residents can age in place as their needs change over time
- Designed to promote accessibility, independence, dignity, and inclusion
- A place where people are known for their strengths, relationships, and contributions
- A community where each person is encouraged to make choices, pursue interests, and shape their own path
- Connected to the greater Mat-Su Valley, with opportunities to participate in work, recreation, worship, healthcare, shopping, and community life
- A lifelong housing option that expands choices for Alaskans with intellectual and developmental disabilities
What Ptarmigan Commons is not
- A licensed institution or institutional-style setting
- A traditional group home
- A one-size-fits-all housing model
- Supports tied to a specific residence rather than the person
- Housing that requires residents to move as their support needs change
- An environment with barriers to participation or independence
- A place where residents are defined by the services they receive
- A program with a predetermined path that limits individual choice
- An isolated campus separated from the surrounding community
- A replacement for existing disability services—it complements and expands Alaska's housing options
Inspired by the Camphill Movement
The vision for Ptarmigan Commons is inspired by the international Camphill movement, a decades-long model of intentional community that brings people with and without disabilities together to share daily life, meaningful work, and relationships. Rather than focusing solely on housing or services, the life-sharing philosophy is built on the belief that every person has unique gifts to contribute and deserves opportunities to offer their gifts to the communities in which they live.
Hope Community Resources is drawing on these proven principles, along with our experience developing the Kenai Intentional Community and Willow Ranch, to create a community uniquely suited to Alaska. While Ptarmigan Commons shares the values of life-sharing—including meaningful relationships, creative expression, stewardship of the land, and mutual support—it is also thoughtfully adapted to reflect Alaska's people, culture, landscape, and communities.
The video below offers an introduction to the Camphill life-sharing philosophy and the everyday experiences that have inspired the vision for Ptarmigan Commons. While Ptarmigan Commons will be uniquely Alaskan in its design and implementation, this video provides a glimpse into the values and shared way of life that have guided its development.
This video is embedded from YouTube and is provided courtesy of its original creator to help illustrate the principles of the Camphill life-sharing model that inspired Ptarmigan Commons. Copyright remains with the video's creator.
