Scarborough high-tech homes designed to boost independence for Mainers with disabilities

A new housing project in Scarborough, where smarter, accessible homes could keep families together and let people live on their own terms.

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Smart home and assistive technology that can turn on lights, open doors and control the TV with a simple voice command is taking convenience to the next level.

But for people living with disabilities, it could open the door to life-changing independence.

Mitchell Sturgeon has multiple sclerosis.

“I have a progressive disease ... so I keep running into problems all the time. I try to think of them as engineering problems that need to be solved,” said Sturgeon.

Inside the South Portland lab of 3i Housing of Maine, Sturgeon and Paul Linet, founder and president, are working to integrate the latest and most effective technology into new affordable, accessible and supportive homes in the state.

“This is sort of like the Batcave,” said anchor Scott McDonnell.

For Linet, the mission is deeply personal.

“Unexpectedly, my wife was diagnosed with a serious, complex neurological disease,” said Linet.

Linet's wife, Susan, was able to have independence and autonomy. Now, he wants others to have the same.

“Upon her passing, I decided that in my retirement, it was important to take the experiences and build off those so that people who need independent housing, accessible
housing, would have an opportunity rather than spending decades in an institutional setting,” said Linet.

The mission meets some of Maine's biggest challenges. Housing is scarce, long-term care options are fading and the cost of support is beyond what most people or families can manage.

A $20 million housing project at Town Center at The Downs in Scarborough is designed to help change that. Plans call for a four-story building with 51 units, offering one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, each equipped with assistive technology matched to the needs of the person living there.

The hope is Scarborough could just be the start.

“We're looking at regional caring communities. We are calling them throughout the state,” said Linet.

The project is intended to be a solution for the roughly 8% of Maine residents ages 18 to 64 who live with a mobility disability, using technology to provide a measure of light and independence in their daily lives.

“We hope that this will set a new standard and get people thinking about this type of housing and really start a new trend in Maine,” said Sturgeon.

Learn more: https://www.3ihome.org/
Read the article and watch the video here.