FAQs

1. What is Our Stomping Ground?
OSG is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting adults with Developmental Disabilities (DD) so they can live meaningful, self-determined lives outside of their family or group home. We partner with affordable housing developers to connect disabled adults with apartment units having a leasing preference for people with DD in the Settlement Agreement Population*. We also offer social, educational, vocational, and therapeutic programming to residents and community members with and without disabilities to build inclusive communities through which everyone benefits.

2. What can Our Stomping Ground do for me?
If you are a parent, family member, or guardian of an adult with a developmental disability (DD), OSG allows your loved one the opportunity to live in an affordable, inclusive, and supported community. We are committed to our outreach through monthly Ask Us Anything zoom events and educational presentations to help adults with DD, transitioning youth (aging up towards adulthood), and their families prepare for interdependent living. We also provide a robust monthly calendar of events to make and maintain friendships, learn new skills, practice health behaviors, explore our neighborhoods, and promote fulfilling, self-determined living.

3. Is there a membership fee?
No, most of our programming is free to minimize financial costs being a barrier to participating in our events. However, there are sometimes costs associated with a particular activity that you would be responsible for. Some examples include paying for your own meal at a restaurant, buying an admission ticket for a venue, or loading money onto your SmarTrip metro card.

We do encourage a monthly donation of $10, but understand that not everyone can give monthly. You can also give a one-time donation in an amount you feel will help support our mission.

4. Who can come to our events?
Everyone is welcome at our events, no matter where you live. Our communities are made stronger when people of various abilities, ages, ethnicities, cultures, genders, sexualities, and socioeconomic backgrounds all come together. We also believe that there’s no Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I), without the inclusion of the disability community.

5. What age do I have to be to get involved with OSG?
While our mission is focused on adults with disabilities, we are enthusiastic about encouraging our families with younger children and teens to watch our calendar and join us to get a glimpse of the future. Community knows no age limits. Of particular interest for our younger families include our community walks, bingo and trivia events, drumming circles, art events and movie nights (please review the scheduled movie’s rating before heading out!).

6. What kinds of events does OSG host?
We host a variety of events across the Northern Virginia region and online. Some examples include community walks to parks and local landmarks, art therapy sessions, book club, social justice club, monthly dinner clubs, game nights, 21+ meetups, museum visits, and cooking classes. Check out our event calendar for a complete look at this month’s activities.

7. Where are the current OSG communities located?
– The Cadence, 4333 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203
– Gilliam Place, Apartments, 918 S Lincoln St, Arlington, VA 22204
– Queens Court, Apartments, 1615 18th St N, Arlington, VA 22209
– The Waypoint, 2451 Menokin Dr, Alexandria, VA 22302
– The Arden, 2317 Huntington Ave, Alexandria, VA 22303
– Ovation at Arrowbrook, 13325 Fairfield Rdg Ave, Herndon, VA 20171

8. How does someone get to live in an OSG community?
There are two potential pathways to follow if you’re interested in living in an OSG community.

• • Settlement Population Pathway: This is for individuals who either receive Medicaid DD waiver services or are on the DD Waiver waitlist.First, individuals must let their Community Service Board (CSB) support coordinator know that they are interested in applying to live in a property that has an OSG community. Then, the support coordinator will assist the individual with completing a housing referral package. If the individual will need rent assistance to afford the rent at the property, and rent assistance is available, the individual’s first stop will be to apply for rent assistance. Once rent assistance is approved, the individual will be referred to the property to start the leasing process.Individuals with Developmental Disabilities who DO NOT have a support coordinator and ARE NOT on the Medicaid DD Waiver waitlist must first apply for a Medicaid DD Waiver. Contact your local Community Service Board (links below) and ask to be screened for a Medicaid DD Waiver.
    – Arlington
    – Alexandria
    – Fairfax
• • Affordable Housing Pathway: This is for individuals who don’t qualify for a DD waiver, and their household income falls within the affordable housing property’s minimum and maximum limits. Some factors at play in addition to income levels are location, household size, and year. Individuals would apply directly to a property’s leasing office to access housing through this pathway.

 

IMPORTANT: Being part of the OSG community does not guarantee that an individual will lease a unit in one of our communities. However, OSG can guide and direct individuals through the preparation process so they are well-equipped to apply for a unit.

 

9. Is there a way for me to stay informed about what OSG is doing?
There are many ways to keep up-to-date with what we’re doing.

• • • Signing up for the Monday email with the event highlights for each week is a great place to start, and you can do so through this link.
    • Regularly check the events calendar on the website for what’s happening during the month and sign up for events directly there.
    • For impromptu events and possibilities to hang out with friends outside of an organized event, be sure to sign up for our Whatsapp groups to stay connected. To join these group chats, you must first download Whatsapp onto your cell phone, and then use this link to join the main OSG Events group. We have various group chats for specific events and communities, so be sure to check the description when signing up for events to join the most relevant group chat.
    • Another way to stay informed is to follow and like us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

10. Can I become a volunteer at OSG?
Absolutely. We have an incredible network of volunteers who make our mission possible. The best way to get involved is to send an email to info@ourstompingground.org and tell us about yourself, your talents/special skills/experiences, and how you would like to be involved.

If you have any other questions, please email us at info@ourstompingground.org

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

What is the Settlement Population?
The Settlement Agreement population consists of people with developmental disabilities who are either (1) transitioning from an institutional setting and meet the level of care for a Medicaid DD Waiver, (2) currently receive Medicaid DD Waiver services, or (3) on the waitlist for a Medicaid DD Waiver. An individual must be age 18 or older to be referred for housing resources aimed at the Settlement Agreement population.

What is a leasing preference?
A leasing preference enables a property to prioritize a rental application for a person in the Settlement Agreement population (SAP) over other applications for a specific unit. The units are made available first to people in the SAP, however, they are not held indefinitely and frequently have a very fast turnaround before being released to the general public.

What is the difference between interdependent living and independent living?
Within the disability space, a commonly set goal is “independent living,” despite the reality that no one is truly independent. Both disabled and non-disabled people rely on service providers, assistive technology, care networks, and other supports for daily life. As social beings, we are mutually dependent on one another, and we all need reciprocal relationships to live our fullest lives. OSG promotes “interdependent living” as a goal, so that we prioritize relationships and reciprocity as a means for social inclusion and self-actualization. The beauty of interdependence is that it will look different for each person, even while living in the same community.