Luna Azul, a new gated single-family home community, offering a new approach to independent living for adults with disabilities, recently celebrated its grand opening and the move-in of the community’s first residents.
The 4.5-acre development located at 1500 E. Wahalla Lane in North Phoenix also launched its Community Association, which provides heightened attention through 24/7 on-site monitoring by a team of Community Coordinators who also organize a full calendar of social activities for residents and their guests.
The 30-home “pocket neighborhood” was designed to address and accommodate the needs of adults with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities, allowing them to live independently (or with a family member or caregiver).
Luna Azul’s approach, as the first in the nation to implement this model, offers the option of independent living for adults with disabilities through homeownership and a Community Association with a full-time team of on-site Community Coordinators. Coordinators help ensure the overall safety and well-being of residents; monitor the community; assist with home maintenance issues; and plan social and recreational activities for regular engagement among residents.
“We created Luna Azul because we wanted something different for our daughter, who has a rare disability,” said Mark Roth, founder and developer of Luna Azul. “Our goal was to build a place for her to live safely and permanently and have a socially fulfilling life with lasting friendships. With residents now living there, we’re seeing the Luna Azul concept work, even to the point where some residents are flourishing beyond their parents’ expectations and their need for in-home care is less than was originally planned, confirming all my expectations of how impactful friendship and inclusiveness is on our lives.”
Luna Azul’s Community Coordinators are care professionals with extensive experience working with individuals with disabilities. Rex Matthews, Luna Azul’s Community Director, has more than 28 years of experience working with individuals and service organizations in Arizona’s developmental disability community, including serving as the director over day and work programs.
Jon Krueger, Luna Azul’s Assistant Community Director, has more than 18 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities, including serving as service coordinator for six day and work programs across the Valley. Together, Rex and Jon manage the team of six Community Coordinators who serve the residents as employees of the HOA.
“Rex is the ideal person to lead the team of Community Coordinators at Luna Azul,” Roth said. “I am regularly amazed by his extensive knowledge of the state’s laws, funding reimbursements and local vendors’ services for adults with disabilities. He’s helped me and my wife navigate the system, and now that he’s on board as Director, we have the peace of mind knowing my daughter will have Rex looking out for her when she’s ready to live at Luna Azul.”
The 1,100- to 2,000-square-foot, two- and three-bedroom homes at Luna Azul range from the low $400s to the high $500s and have incorporated a wide range of features that can be customized to address and accommodate the varying needs of individuals with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities.
These features include highly durable flooring and finishes chosen for longevity and ease of care; low-maintenance bath and kitchen counters without grout lines for ease of cleaning; wide doorways and hallways for accessibility; large private front porches surrounding lush courtyards that encourage social engagement among the residents; in-home spaces that help minimize sensory overload and mitigate social challenges as well as CAT6 pre-wiring to provide an extensive range of Smart Technology safety, energy and control options.
Luna Azul’s first phase of 14 cottage-style homes are available and on-track to sell-out by year-end. Construction of the second phase of 16 new homes is expected to begin in early 2020, with completion of the full development slated for fall 2020.
