The need for specialized housing and services for special people couldn’t be greater. Our community members with disabilities are at a record high, so CASL and Renaissance Manor have joined forces to meet the demand for quality housing and services. My mentor and close friend, Charley, and I have worked together since 1998 to expand and manage these programs. Charley Richards founded CASL in 1997 to provide housing for adults with developmental disabilities who receive support services funded by Medicaid and Medicare. My wife, Heather, and I founded Renaissance Manor in 1998, to provide assisted living for people with mental illnesses. To create even greater housing opportunities for the special people we serve, the respective Boards determined that a merged organization could accomplish more. I am proud to serve as CASL Chief Executive Officer, and Charley Richards is Chairman of our Board.
Our supported housing model is unique. Too often, people with disabilities live in unsafe housing, or become homeless. We often help the veteran who, upon returning from combat, moves between family, friends and shelters coping with post-traumatic stress disorder. Whether the need is short or long-term, these very special people need more than a place to live. To succeed, they need housing with living assistance.
CASL’s services are typically delivered by a case manager whose responsibility is to provide services that enable our residents to enjoy an independent lifestyle while ensuring that special needs are met. The services offered include transportation, coordinating with counselors and physicians to ensure medication compliance, assistance with meal planning, and other important support help. CASL is committed to meeting the unique needs of our special residents.
It has been determined by State agencies that SW Florida needs more than 1400 additional housing units to meet the needs of disabled of disabled community members. CASL now offers 109 housing units, where we are caring for more than 300 community residents. Our goal is to acquire 200 additional units of supported housing over the next 10 years.
A true community leader, friend, and former State Senator, Bob Johnson is leading the way with CASL’s Fortress Legacy Society. Thanks to Bob, and to you, we are making a difference for our CASL community residents!
- Scott Eller, President & CEO
In Southwest Florida (Sarasota, Manatee and Lee Counties), approximately 20,000 households include one or more individuals with a disability, and more than half of their income is spent on housing.
- Local homeless coalitions report that one of every four homeless people is a veteran.
- Southwest Florida needs more than 1,400 additional housing units to meet the needs of our disabled community members.