WHAT TO LOOK FOR
When searching for a property for a new community residential home licensed by the State of Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), there are factors that must be considered. It’s best to know before making such a big financial commitment that your choice will be acceptable. We have helped many aspiring providers. From their experience I have a few suggestions for anyone looking the buy or rent a property to use as an APD licensed residence.
The first consideration, like any real estate transaction, is LOCATION.
Choose a location that will be desirable for the clients. Some want to be near “the action.” They want to go to parks, stores, movies, and community events. They might like to go for walks in the neighborhood, so sidewalks might be important. Others might want the quiet of a more rural area. Residents and their supports make the choice, so there must be something to attract them.
Choose a location that will be easily accessible for family, Support Coordinators, and other members of the client’s circle of supports. Contact Support Coordinators or APD placement coordinators for suggestions on areas where they might be looking for a placement. Speak with the APD Licensure Supervisor about the feasibility of a home in an area.
Choose a location that does not already have a significant number of APD residences with vacancies.
The second consideration is the size, condition, and configuration of the home.
APD requires bedrooms to be at least 80 square feet for one resident and 120 square feet for two. They do not allow three residents in a bedroom. They also require a tub and toilet for every three residents, and 35 sq ft of common living area, not including the kitchen, for each resident.
There needs to be space for a staff work area/desk, secure document storage, secure medication storage, emergency supplies, and residents’ incidentals storage. Consider the type of client you might want to accept. For instance, you would not want to put a person who is known to elope in a bedroom with an exterior door.
The grounds should be free of hazards, including holes or loose rocks. Make sure any bodies of water, including a pool, have a fence at least 4’ high that is lockable. There must be an interconnected alarm with smoke detectors, at least one carbon monoxide detector, and a manual pull station. Bedroom windows should be able to open at least 5.7 square feet. The safety requirements can be found in Florida Administrative Code 69A-38.
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Before purchasing or signing a lease – * Get the facility proximity printouts from APD, DCF, and AHCA. Make sure none are within 1000’. * Check to see if there is any HOA rule that might interfere. Look for parking rules in particular. * Check with the local Zoning and Fire Officials for any local barriers, like sprinklers? * Check with Code Enforcement to see if any violations have been issued for the property. * Check with local police to see if there are any problems in the neighborhood.
It’s a good idea to be enrolled as a service provider before purchasing or signing a lease to make sure you will be eligible to provide residential services. (OR, make the lease contingent upon approval, which could take months.) I had a client who got a home furnished and ready for inspection and then discovered a problem from prior employment that took several months to rectify before he could be an authorized provider.
REMEMBER – PROVIDING RESIDENTIAL SERVICES IS A 24 / 7 / 365 RESPONSIBILITY!
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