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Jeffrey Brake, a future resident of Auburn Oaks, operates the machinery with some assistance to break the ground of the Auburn Oaks community.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Three Oaks Communities CEO Bill Godfrey speaks about the company’s neuro-inclusive neighborhood model, which allows low income adults with intellectual and development disabilities to live more independently in homes they own at the groundbreaking of Auburn Oaks June 4.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Laurel Seizert, a future resident of Auburn Oaks, and her father, Gerry Seizert, share a special moment after speaking at the groundbreaking of Auburn Oaks June 4.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Auburn Oaks will feature 55 homes, including a mix of condos, single-family and town homes, with 17 condos and two single-family homes reserved for adults with intellectual and development disabilities.
ROCHESTER HILLS — A second “neuro-inclusive” neighborhood, Auburn Oaks, will be opening in Rochester Hills.
On June 4, officials broke ground on the $35 million project, which is a partnership between Oakland County; Rochester Housing Solutions, a nonprofit founded by families to create homeownership opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and Three Oaks Communities, a developer that specializes in homes for neurotypical homebuyers, as well as adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
Located off of Auburn Road, Auburn Oaks will feature 55 new homes, including 41 condos in five buildings, nine single-family homes, and five townhomes. Of those, 17 condominiums and two single-family homes have been reserved for adults with disabilities.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said the county is committed to building communities where every resident has the opportunity to live independently and thrive.
“This project is going to increase home ownership for all people, and that’s the key,” Coulter said.
Bill Godfrey, the CEO of Three Oaks Communities, said there is “a huge demand” nationwide for housing for the estimated 7 million adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“These families have come together, and some of them are embracing this concept that you can actually own your own home as an IDD adult, so that it’s permanent, you have greater control and choice over your caregivers, and you can be part of a community,” Godfrey explained. “I think there is a huge demand for this type of housing, and we’re hoping that it creates a new market segment in the home building industry.”
In Michigan, Kirsten Elliott, president and chief executive officer of the Community Housing Network, estimates there are 49,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which she says is probably under-reported.
“There is a definite need, and there are not a lot of resources to be able to build housing for people like this and other options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that are fully included in the community,” she said.
Auburn Oaks is just the third development in Michigan, and second in the county, featuring homes for sale to homebuyers with intellectual and developmental disabilities along with the general public.
“It’s my dream, and I know that it’s the dream of others, that these wonderful communities will just continue to sprout in communities, not just across Oakland County, but across the state of Michigan,” Coulter said.
The first neuro-inclusive neighborhood in the state was launched by Three Oaks Communities in Saline, Michigan, in 2022, while the first Oakland County neighborhood of this kind — Walton Oaks — broke ground in Rochester Hills in September 2024.
Rochester Hills City Council President Jason Carlock said council members unanimously approved both Walton Oaks and Auburn Oaks.
“And we did so with pride,” he said.
“This project will include the quality of life in a meaningful and lasting way. It will give residents a place where they are supported, where they can grow in independence, and where they can build friendships and a true sense of home. And, as for the families, it brings something incredibly powerful: peace, hope and reassurance about the future.”
Residents of Auburn Oaks are slated to start moving into the neighborhood in about 18-24 months, according to officials.
“It’s very exciting for me. I can’t wait to start over and start a new life,” said Laurel Seizert, who will be a resident of Auburn Oaks.
Laurel’s father, Gerry Seizert, said the neighborhood will provide his daughter, and over 25 others, independent living in “a safe, supportive and compassionate community.”
“What we look forward to is all these friendships and associations that Laurel has made over the last four to five years, now becoming neighbors,” he said.
The project has both public and private support from the Oakland Together Housing Trust Fund, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Community Housing Network, F&M Bank, First State Bank and private equity partners. The Oakland Together Housing Trust Fund provided $1.5 million in mezzanine financing to the Auburn Oaks development.
