The Neighborhood of Maryland will offer adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities the opportunity for dignity and autonomy in a setting allowing full participation in community life. Its two components, the Enrichment Center and the independent Neighborhood Housing Cooperative, will provide services separate from housing while promoting integration, choice and accessibility. The Enrichment Center will serve as a public, ADA-compliant hub for activities, open to all county residents. Residents of the not-for-profit housing cooperative will live in independent homes, with the same legal protections as any renter, while freely choosing their supports an daily routines. With no congregate care, institutional features, or restrictions on personal freedom, The Neighborhood of Maryland project offers a replicable model of inclusive housing and community engagement that strengthens both individual lives and their connection to the wider community.

Our mission is to create a safe, active, and inclusive community where everyone is welcome and valued for their unique strengths and abilities. We are committed to fulfilling an unmet need within the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) community. Our focus is on giving participants a life without limitations that offers safety, security, choice, purpose, belonging, friendship, and fulfillment. We hope to provide inclusive programs and resources that support and empower the IDD community. Together, we can foster understanding, promote acceptance, and provide opportunities for growth and development.

The Neighborhood of Maryland is the result of loving and impassioned families who came together in order to build a supportive and progressive community for their loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our goal is to create an accepting and compassionate community – both physically and spiritually- where people with special needs can learn, grow, and thrive together in order to achieve their fullest potential.

The Neighborhood of Maryland embodies 4 key principles. The first is to build a sustainable community where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities feel loved, respected, and nurtured. The second is to provide a space where people of all abilities can feel physically and emotionally safe and supported. The third principle we follow is that all people, regardless of ability, should have the freedom to make their own choices when it comes to both day-to-day living and long-term decisions. We are dedicated to making sure our members’ voices are heard and that their needs and desires are at the heart of all that we do. Our final guiding principle is to support our members’ physical, social, and emotional wellness. We offer enrichments to help them learn important life skills, gain more independence, and build meaningful and lasting relationships.

The Neighborhood of Maryland’s current activities and future Enrichment Center serve individuals 14 years and older.

All attendees are responsible for bringing their appropriate supportive services. No personal support services are offered. While accommodations are supported, we believe one size does not fit all and both activities and supports need to be individualized.

Our goal is to provide a wide variety of enrichment opportunities and programs that will support intellectual growth, independence, healthy living, and fun. As of January 2026, The Neighborhood of Maryland offers weekly sensory-friendly rock climbing groups, adaptive art classes, yoga, line dancing lessons, movie nights, and packing of care packages. Our to be built Enrichment Center will include three classrooms, a teaching kitchen, a media/game room, a workout/fitness room, a regulation size indoor basketball court and two sensory rooms. We aim to provide enrichment opportunities that will teach important math and finance skills, independent living skills, cooking and food safety, vocational skills, and personal health and wellness. We hope these programs will also foster artistic expression and relationship building. Enrichment programs will focus on our constituents but will include connections with typical peers, including high school students earning community service hours, college students in relevant education curricula, public service personnel, local businesses, and retirees.

We wanted to give the Enrichment Center the feeling of just being in a friendly neighborhood where the residents know each other, accept each other and enjoy spending time together.

You can find our scheduled activities on the home page under “Activities”. Click here.

The Neighborhood of Maryland began offering programs and activities in 2025. The plans for the Enrichment Center should be approved by the first quarter of 2027. We expect groundbreaking and construction of the Enrichment Center to begin in 2027. The grand opening of the Enrichment Center is scheduled for 2028.

We have under contract a 10-acre property at 5870 Muncaster Mill Road in Rockville, Maryland, near Magruder High School. Located on the north side of the Inter-County Connector (MD 200) at Muncaster Mill Road, the plans for the site should be approved by the first quarter of 2027.

The Neighborhood of Maryland, Inc., is self-developing the project. Grimm + Parker Architects have created a striking design for the Enrichment Center. Townscape Design is handling land planning and AMT Engineering is the civil. Discussions are underway with a sitework contractor and the general contractor for the Enrichment Center will be selected after plans are closer to completion.

The intent is that TNM will not utilize debt but will raise the necessary capital utilizing a combination of tax-deductible donations from community members (friends & family), unrestricted donations from the public, grants from private foundations, and targeted state and county grants. To offset approximately 65% of the costs of site acquisition, entitlements, and site infrastructure, the project will be jointly developed with a separate privately funded housing cooperative formed by families from our community with a mission in lockstep with – and complementary to – the mission of TNM.

Yes, we plan to form an Advisory Board, including individuals with IDD, to help us gather input from families and the community as well as to provide ongoing advice to The Neighborhood of Maryland Board of Directors. We are dedicated to making sure our members’ voices are heard and that their needs and desires are at the heart of all that we do.

No. There is an area of land next to the Enrichment Center that will be developed into houses by The Neighborhood Housing Cooperative, which is a separate entity from The Neighborhood of Maryland. The Neighborhood Housing Cooperative will be privately funded and resident led. Information and their FAQ is available at here.

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