Nation's only independent housing for multiple sclerosis is in Admiral

Ariel House, in the Admiral District, is the only independent housing in the nation for people with multiple sclerosis.

"The whole idea is that there was a hole in the community," said Merrill Ringold, executive director of Ariel House. "We're talking about people who live very independently in a well-designed community that allows them to maintain their independence. Without this, they would end up probably having to go to a nursing home, even though they really don't need to."

Ariel House has been remodeled to be entirely accessible for wheelchair-bound residents. Some of its features include level entryways, wide hallways, low countertops, wheel-in showers and an elevator. Residents are able to move freely about the house and do their own cleaning and cooking.

"I really can't think of anything they didn't think of in preparing this house," said Jan Crovisier, who has lived in Ariel House for four years.

Ariel House opened its doors in February 2002 and is built to accommodate five people of moderate disability. It is co-run by Multifaith Works and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County, an independent county-based nonprofit organization. The organizations received Ariel House as an anonymous donation in 2000, and organized a $265,000 remodeling conducted entirely by volunteers.

The house is maintained by volunteers from Multifaith Works and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County, as well as outside organizations such as the Chicken Soup Brigade, which delivers meals to residents. Volunteers and residents discuss issues at weekly meetings, and several times a year volunteer crews take on large repairs and cleaning tasks around the house.

"They listen to what our needs are," Crovisier said. "Volunteers come out and do whatever we need doing, like painting and washing the walls, things we can't do because of fatigue."

Ariel House is a two-story structure located at 2712 S.W. Walnut St. It is within close distance of banks, grocery stores and two bus lines, so residents are able to run their own errands. It is also across the street from Hiawatha Playfield.

"I feel really safe here," said Ed Johnson, who moved into the house last April. "On a weekend day you can see 30-40 women pushing strollers and you just want to go outside. People with MS have all kinds of cognitive issues. You need to feel safe."

Since its opening in 2002, the house has had approximately 25 residents. According to Ringold, as long as residents are able to perform the basic activities of daily living, even with outside assistance, they are welcome to remain in the house. Crovisier said that residents "are able to compensate for one another," and able-bodied residents frequently help perform physical tasks for their housemates.

"We wanted it to be a community," Ringold said. "The key ingredient is that this is a community where people with a shared interest can live and support each other."

For Johnson, who was diagnosed with MS about a year ago, this idea of a community has been helpful in adjusting to life after diagnosis.

"Living with other people has helped me try to understand things about MS," he said. "Before I came here, I was worried about what was going to happen and where I was going to live. When I moved in here, a lot of that stress and anxiety went away."

Both Crovisier and Johnson said they had a difficult time locating MS-accessible housing before they discovered Ariel House.

"I've tried living with two of my three children, and I found it doesn't work out," Crovisier said. "I applied to live in Section 8 housing, but the waiting list was 5-8 years."

Like Section 8 and government subsidized housing, Ariel House charges only 30 percent of residents' monthly incomes, up to a maximum of $350 a month. Applicants interview with Multifaith Works and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County, then meet their prospective housemates at a weekly meeting and, if they are accepted, spend a trial weekend in the house before moving in. Ariel House only accepts applicants from Washington and is currently looking for one more resident for the home.

"This place has saved my life," Crovisier said. "It is everything I could have hoped for and more. We are not the MS you read about and hear about. We're four other people with a disease. Most of the money people donate is for the researchers and we don't see a speck of it. We need to keep going too."

Kat Lewin may be reached at 932-0300 or Katl@robinsonnews.com