We built a $250,000 ADU for our adult son in our backyard. He gets the support he needs, and it’s cheaper than finding an apartment.

The other option we considered was supported housing. A doctor recommended a Napa facility with professionals living on campus that provide meals and help individuals with special needs take the next step toward independence.

Although the state provides funding for these services, it is limited, and many of the costs still fall on the families.

The kind of support Jacob needs, including having someone available 24 hours a day, is upward of $9,000 a month. Given that we are a single-income family, this is a significant portion of our income.

With this in mind, we knew we could not afford to have Jacob living in the facility. So, my wife and I instead considered building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in our backyard.

We built an ADU in our backyard

Last year, we went to the county office to gather information about potential funding sources available to assist those with special needs and construction.

We discovered Napa County’s Affordable ADU program — it’s not the California ADU grant program. This program is meant to support housing and offers a forgivable loan if you rent a unit to low-income tenants for at least five years.

Some of our friends suggested that we buy more than just the typical items for a house to make Jacob’s home feel like it was truly his. The bathroom is gray and black because he’s a Raiders fan, and we also made the rest of the home baseball-themed.

The main room, where the kitchen is located, is decorated in Phillies colors with red accents. The bedroom also features Raiders or Oakland A’s colors, with green and gold themes.

Jacob really likes living on his own — he’s thriving.

It gives him independence. In fact, he can listen to music as loud as he wants. Just a week and a half ago, he invited a group of friends over for dinner.

Jacob living on his own has made an enormous difference for our family.

Thanks to the state of California, it has also opened up additional disability services. One of these, Independent Living Services (ILS), provides a set number of hours a week for in-home assistance with Jacob. After moving out, he qualifies for Supported Living Services (SLS), which expands the number of hours he can get in-home support.

Now, he has an aide for eight hours a day during the week—something he couldn’t have had if he were still living with us.

Additionally, my wife works as an IHSS (In-Home Support Services) provider. She is paid for assisting Jacob with tasks such as meal preparation, administering medication, and helping him get dressed.

Overall, our stress has significantly decreased, and we have peace of mind knowing we can still provide the necessary emotional support he needs.