A look at the newly renovated homes at New Vista Ranch, which provides homes for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Wed. Dec. 8, 2021. The project was a collaboration between New Vista and HomeAid, with construction donated and funded by local home builders Toll Brothers, Woodside Homes, Shea Homes and D.R. Horton.
Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 | 2 a.m.
The homes at the New Vista Ranch for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been newly renovated to be far from the institutional settings that some of the future residents might be used to.
New Vista, a nonprofit provider of supported living arrangements for people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has more than 20 homes in Nevada. They started in 1986 with New Vista Ranch, a four-house cluster in a quiet neighborhood on the far northwest side of Las Vegas. Those houses just got a refresh with $200,000 in labor and materials donated by local builders Woodside Homes, Shea Homes, Toll Brothers and D.R. Horton.
Once put back in service, each spacious five-bedroom, two-bath ranch-style home will house four kids in private rooms, with one room for round-the-clock staff. The youths who will live here, who will range from 6 to 18 years old, have disabilities that require close, trained supervision. For many reasons, their families might not be able to provide that level of complex care themselves.
Nor will all of the residents come from stable or warm homes, said Archie McArthur, New Vista’s executive director.
Some will come from congregate living settings that are closer to a shelter or residential treatment center layout, which can be hectic for people whose disabilities include sensory challenges. Some may be in the foster care system but can’t be matched with a family that can meet their needs. These houses will give them a feel for a regular home life, McArthur said.
Full kitchens, dining and living rooms, all common areas, give a natural residential feel. Contemporary appliances and smooth wood grain-patterned tile floors lend a crisp modern air, and partitions in the bedrooms create a divided space that feels like a private studio apartment, with a space for sleeping and another for reading or playing with toys.
“Having a good quality of life starts at home,” McArthur said Wednesday at an unveiling of the just-completed renovations. “The word ‘home’ has a significant impact.”
He said he wants to “deprogram” residents who lived in less personal institutions.
“We want them to treat it like a home,” he said.
New Vista and the builders worked on the project with HomeAid Southern Nevada, the official outreach partner of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association that develops housing for vulnerable populations. Each builder put a slightly different finish on their home.
Stephanie Heagerty, president of HomeAid’s board of directors, said the soon-to-be residents are “so deserving of their newly renovated homes.”
“It is our hope that the residents of New Vista that call New Vista Ranch home know how important they are to the Las Vegas community and how honored we have been to serve them,” she said.
