Our Frequently Asked Questions

An intentional community is a residential area designed for high social cohesion and teamwork. Vanguard Landing (VGL) is the first of its kind in Virginia, but this concept exists nationwide. The Intentional Community concept actively promotes engaging individuals with non-disabled individuals through a variety of vocational and recreational activities chosen by the individual and his or her family. In fact, many of these individuals have tried living in small homes in neighborhoods and have found such settings to be extremely isolating and detrimental to their health and happiness.

VGL is a member of the National Together for Choice advocacy group, a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to choose their living and daily activities. Other intentional neighborhoods are thriving and offer high-quality, creative services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Just as seniors have the right to choose their living arrangements, so should individuals with different support needs. Vanguard Landing offers another option to address the lack of housing choices.

Our well-planned community is not only designed to be interactive and self-sustaining within itself, it also is set up to collaborate and be utilized by all members of our greater community. The Intentional Community concept actively promotes engaging individuals with non-disabled individuals through a variety of vocational and recreational activities chosen by the individual and his or her family. In fact, many of these individuals have tried living in small homes in neighborhoods and have found such settings to be extremely isolating and detrimental to their health and happiness.

Vanguard Landing will have a beautiful and dynamic neighborhood that will be a shining example of a true community with everyone receiving whatever level of support they need. While we, of course, are focused on the needs of our friends with ID/DD, we will also have neuro-typical adults who also live in the neighborhood. A supportive neighborhood with incredible amenities within walking distance is what many want and deserve. We are excited to utilize a variety of partnerships with businesses and other providers.

Phase One will have 128 residents, and be neuro-diverse meaning some individuals with ID/D and some will be neuro-typical. When fully built, Vanguard Landing plans to have 185 full-time residents living in the community and an additional 50 day participants who will live elsewhere but come to Vanguard Landing during the day for education, training, job opportunities, and recreation.

We have established three endowment funds to help sustain Vanguard Landing into the future and keep our programs accessible. Donors can contribute to the Scholarship Endowment, the Maintenance Fund Endowment, and The VanGarden Endowment.

Yes! Vanguard Landing will provide transportation to appointments and off-site employment, community outings, shopping, and more. A certain amount of transports will be allotted per resident. Outside the allotted/pre-planned rides, if extra transportation is required or developed, Vanguard Landing has a fee schedule to include additional rides as needed. Residents who have their own cars or who want to use alternate transportation can do that also.

Vanguard Landing will offer at least two different living arrangements: five-bedroom, one-story cottages, and one-bedroom, one-story townhomes. All homes will be single-gender. The exception would be a married couple renting a one-bedroom rowhouse. The approved applicants will be placed in cottages based on similar interests.

Currently, we have secured funding and have raised sufficient money to build and start Phase One but are actively raising an additional minimum of $4 million for things needed (see Ways to Help page for what else is needed) for Phase One as well as to begin the design work and subsequent funds for sitework and building the other buildings that we need to complete the neighborhood (see Ways to Help and Naming Opportunities to see the rest of the buildings needed). Therefore, we do not have a definite date set as to when we would start building more housing or buildings. Phase 2 is dependent on additional funding.

There is a severe lack of opportunities for our target population and almost all of the adults on our waitlist and applicant list, currently have NOTHING appropriate to choose from for living or employment options. Some have already gotten approved for a Medicaid Waiver, but have nowhere to safely use them. This is why we are very much needed. They want and need as many options as people can create to provide full choice and a range of opportunities.  Vanguard Landing will proudly join the over 124 other Intentional Communities to offer this innovative and forward-thinking option.

There is a long waitlist of citizens who want access to a Medicaid Waiver, which means there is a need for more private pay options. Most people don’t realize that in Virginia, many of the few residential options are accessed only by having a Medicaid Waiver. 

Vanguard Landing is FIRM on the belief that to have TRUE CHOICE – we must be available to both Medicaid Waivers/private pay residents and private pay only ones.  We are willing to do the work to become a Licensed New Provider.  Everyone should be reminded that limiting peoples’ choices violates their civil rights AND for those who do have access to a Medicaid Waiver, you are LEGALLY allowed to use it wherever YOU choose.

After researching other Intentional Communities and visiting them to see innovative ideas for more options for the population we aim to serve, our Founder brought forth the idea to create an Intentional Community in Virginia. Vanguard Landing will be a new Intentional Community following in the footsteps of many forward-thinking communities around the country. Some have been around a long time and have a long waitlist, some are about to be built like Vanguard Landing, while others are still in the planning stages. Developing the funding to create a campus like this has taken many organizations on average 12-15 years to get from idea stage to grand opening.

When our Founder began her research, she also researched words that meant “forward thinking,” “unstoppable,” and “strong.” She discovered the word “Vanguard,” which means “leaders of an action or movement in society.” Then, a fellow parent thought “well, it should sound like a safe place to land, how about “Landing?”