Marking a big step in its plan to establish a unique place for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities along with their caregivers, Many Hands Lifesharing Community (MHLC) announced it will break ground this month at its 94-acre property at 1900 Baker Road.
The plan is moving ahead now that it got the green light from the Scio Township Board of Trustees, which approved the development’s final Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning at its July 7 meeting.
MHLC issued a statement after the township board’s approval.
“With zoning approvals in place, construction is set to begin in late July, marking the start of a project years in the making, a first-of-its-kind lifesharing community in Michigan where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities will live alongside their caregivers in a thriving, intergenerational neighborhood,” MHLC said.
Kerry Kafafian, founder and executive director of the Many Hands Lifesharing Community, said, “This approval is the moment years of dreaming, planning, and community building becomes something you can touch. When we break ground this month, we’re not just starting construction – we’re answering families across Michigan who have asked, for far too long, where their loved ones with disabilities can live full, connected, dignified lives.”
“Scio Township saw what we see: a neighborhood where everyone belongs, everyone contributes, and no one is set apart,” Kafafian said. “For the adults who will call Many Hands home, this vote means a future they helped design — and we couldn’t have reached it without the neighbors, advocates, and supporters who are standing with us every step of the way.”
What is Many Hands
As a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization, Many Hands said its plan is to build a purpose-designed neighborhood just outside of Dexter “where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live as full community members.”
The MHLC defines “Lifesharing” as an environment where staff and individuals with disabilities choose to live, grow, and support one another – sharing daily life, responsibilities, and relationships.
The community will ultimately be home to 175 people: residents with disabilities, their caregivers (PALs – Professional Advocate Lifesharers). The MHLC said its development is planned in four phases and will include 11 resident homes, 10 duplex cottage homes, a community center, café, craft house, barn, biodynamic farm, recreational facilities, and extensive preserved open space. Ninety percent of the 94-acre site will remain actively farmed or preserved in perpetuity.
Noting the farming aspect to the plan, Kafafian said that’s already happening.
“The community is currently running programming on the property centered on its biodynamic garden, bringing participants together through farming, stewardship, and shared learning. These activities will continue and expand as construction begins,” she said while adding, “Our garden has already shown us what this community will feel like. Every week, people of all abilities are working the soil side by side, sharing meals, and building the relationships that will anchor this neighborhood for decades. The buildings come next — but the community is already here.”
PUD Zoning
A big part of getting an approval such as this is that Many Hands’ plan had to demonstrate some community-wide benefits. Doing so is a point of pride for them.
MHLC said in their statement, “In approving the PUD, Scio Township recognized that the Many Hands site plan advances seven of the eight PUD goals outlined in the township’s Master Plan. Township officials and planning staff highlighted several dimensions of the project’s community value:
Inclusive recreation:Recreational facilities — including a pool, pavilion, pickleball courts, and amphitheater — are designed to be accessible to all community members, including those with developmental disabilities.
Affordable workforce housing:Caregiver families and staff will live on-site in below-market-rate housing, meeting a documented affordable housing need in Scio Township.
Environmental stewardship:The property will feature a biodynamic farm, hoop houses, crop fields, and preserved open space — with 90 percent of the acreage remaining farmed or preserved. Many Hands offered open-space without requesting township land preservation funds.
Care and housing for vulnerable people: The project directly addresses Michigan’s critical shortage of quality community-based housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities — a population that too often lacks options.
A model for sustainability:From its self-sufficient farm operations to its community-financed housing model, Many Hands is designed to be financially and environmentally sustainable for the long term.”
What’s Next
The MHLC said the groundbreaking on the first phase of construction is planned for late July. According to the organization, the project is community-financed, with support from individuals who believe in the mission — families, friends, and advocates who have made it possible to reach this milestone.
Many Hands said it’s secured the approvals, the land, and the construction timeline, but to fully complete the buildings in the first phase, the organization is seeking $8 million in additional funding. It said donations, investments, and inquiries from individuals, foundations, and impact investors who share the vision are welcomed.
To learn more or to support the project, visit manyhandslc.org or contact Kafafian at [email protected] or (734) 355-0991.
Photo: Many Hands is planning to build on 94 acres on Baker Road. Photo by Lonnie Huhman
114 North Main St Suite 10 Chelsea, MI 48118
