Cohome of Morristown wins housing innovation award

From Cohome Inc.

Cohome wins Prestigious Housing Innovation Award

Morristown resident Nathaniel Diskint was not satisfied with the housing options for his younger brother, Jeremy, who has Down Syndrome.

Jeremy was mainstreamed in public schools alongside peers without disabilities. But when seeking housing in his 20s, the options were quite limited and segregated to only adults with disabilities.

Seven years ago, Diskint looked over at his now wife Julie and said: “You know, maybe I could create something.”

After years of tireless work, create something he did. He is the founder and executive director of Cohome Inc., a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization started in Morristown.

Cohome has been named recipient of the prestigious Innovation Award by the New Jersey Supportive Housing Association (SHA). This award recognizes Cohome’s innovative approach to housing programs for adults with disabilities and Cohome’s leadership advocating for disability-inclusion.

“This year we honor Nathaniel Diskint as one who has had an extraordinary impact in improving the lives of people with special needs through housing and services,” said Diane Reilly, SHA executive director.

“Mr. Diskint was nominated for this award by many people, a testament to the impact he has had on individuals as well as the community.”

Most notably, Cohome has successfully established a disability-inclusive housing model that brings together adults with disabilities and their neurotypical peers through their intentional co-living program.

The model fosters what Cohome calls “reciprocal relationships” between residents with and without disabilities. Reciprocal relationships are all about giving; both parties give to the other in a mutually consensual way.

Cohome says that many individuals with disabilities who are supported either by family or professional supporters don’t often have these kinds of social opportunities. All housemates at Cohome are peers who choose to live in this intentionally inclusive setting.

Those needing professional support to further develop independent living skills work with Life Skills Mentors who are trained to recognize each individual’s unique abilities and encourage greater autonomy.

In making its decision to present Cohome this award, the SHA also considered Cohome’s efforts to integrate its program into the Morristown community. Morristown has become Cohome’s “campus,” where residents live, work, and play.

Cohome’s goal was to create a housing model that lives up to the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) mandate to include people with disabilities in existing spaces. Where neurotypical individuals go to school and work, today individuals with disabilities can access the same schools and workplaces.

This also means that wherever someone without a disability can live, so too a person with a disability may live.

“My brother now gets to live in a beautiful home with peers of all abilities,” says Diskint. “He does some writing at the library, chats with friends at the coffee shop, and walks to his job at a local restaurant. He gets to enjoy the Morristown amenities that many of us may take for granted.”

SHA awards will be presented at the association’s annual conference on Nov. 3rd, 2023. Continue to follow Cohome’s journey on Instagram  and online.