decide howyouspend yourtime, howyoushare your
space, and how you manage your possessions. Away
from home,youdon’t. Thislossof freedomwaswhat
people like Lou Sanders and Wilson’s mother, Jessie,
dreaded.
Wilson and her husband sat at their dining table and
begansketchingoutthefeaturesofanewkindofhome
fortheelderly,aplaceliketheonehermotherhadpined
for.Thentheytriedtogetsomeonetobuilditandtest
whether it would work. They approached retirement
communities and builders. None were interested. The
ideas seemed impractical and absurd. So the couple
decided to build the place on their own.
They were two academics who had never attempted
anythingofthesort.Buttheylearnedonestepatatime.
Theyworked with an architect tolay out theplans in
detail.Theywenttobankafterbanktogetaloan.When
thatdidnotsucceed,theyfoundaprivateinvestorwho
backed them but required them to give up majority
ownership and to accept personal liability for failure.
Theysignedthedeal.ThenthestateofOregonthreatened
towithholdlicensingasseniorhousingbecausetheplans
stipulatedthat people with disabilitieswould be living
there. Wilson spent several days camped out in one
governmentofficeafteranotheruntilshehadsecuredan
exemption.Unbelievably, she and her husbandcleared
everyobstacle.Andin1983,theirnew“livingcenterwith
assistance”fortheelderly—namedParkPlace—opened
in Portland.
Bythetimeitopened,ParkPlacehadbecomefarmore
thananacademicpilotproject.Itwasamajorrealestate