Oct. 14, 2005

Richmond’s first group home for survivors of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries opens

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By Michael Ford
University News Services

R. Macon Sizemore (center), president of Independence House, leads 12 other volunteers and supporters at the ribbon cutting for the community-based group home. Photo courtesy of Virginia Supportive Housing
R. Macon Sizemore (center), president of Independence House, leads 12 other volunteers and supporters at the ribbon cutting for the community-based group home. Photo courtesy of Virginia Supportive Housing

Richmond’s first community-based group home for survivors of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries opened on Sept. 29 in the city’s Fulton Hill neighborhood.

Located at 1725 National St., Independence House is operated under a partnership between Virginia Supportive Housing and High Hopes. R. Macon Sizemore, director of rehabilitation services for the VCU Health System, serves as president of Independence House.

“Independence House restores hope, dignity and independence to a drastically underserved segment of the Richmond population,” Sizemore said. “I see how hard these patients work to reclaim their lives, and it is very gratifying that they will be able to fulfill the dream of independent living thanks to a place like Independence House.”

Independence House provides independent living and training and affordable, wheelchair-accessible housing with support services for six traumatic brain-injury and spinal cord-injury survivors and one resident manager. Interior rooms include an activity room, a kitchen, a parlor, a sitting room and seven bedrooms. Design features, including a kitchen with an open counter, sink and range top, encourage independence and mobility for wheelchair users.

VSH used a $306,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to renovate and construct an addition to the existing dwelling on National Street. HUD also committed an additional $88,000 in rental subsidies for the project.

Virginia Supportive Housing is a nonprofit organization that provides permanent housing and comprehensive support services to individuals and families who are homeless or who have disabilities so as to promote the transition to productivity and independence. High Hopes is dedicated to the design and construction of affordable, accessible and supportive housing to promote optimal independence for adults with acquired brain and spinal injury.

In addition to Sizemore, other VCU volunteers close to the project include Vera Tann, a clinical social worker in the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who serves as vice president for Independence House; Timothy L. Davey, Ph.D., associate professor of Social Work; and Ellen Gerszten, a clinical social worker in the Ambulatory Care Center’s infectious disease clinic at VCU Medical Center.