Bleu Moon Living, a Deaf-centered and Deaf-led Specialized Residential Facility for the DeafPlus community, recently opened in Newark. The home will serve four residents supported by the Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB). It is the first home in California designed to be fully accessible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and have additional disabilities. On July 23, 2025, the Department’s deaf access specialist and staff from the Office of Community Development joined the celebration of its grand opening!
“This home is more than just a building,” said Stefanie Ellis-Gonzales, who is deaf and is one of the administrators of the Blue Moon Living home. “For far too long, DeafPlus individuals have been placed in residential settings that weren’t designed for them, leaving them isolated, disconnected and misunderstood.”
A room in Bleu Moon Living.
Bleu Moon living aims to change that by having all staff at the home be deaf and/or ASL-fluent, and by following the Deaf Space Guidelines created by Gallaudet University.
“Accessibility in this context goes beyond communication. It means creating environments where safety, inclusion, and independence are fully supported, ensuring every DeafPlus individual can thrive with dignity,” Rochelle Greenwell, former Deaf Specialist at RCEB, who worked on this project.
Some of the home’s accessible features include:
- Visual intercom and doorbell system that visually alerts mobile devices when a visitor is at the front door
- Glass panels on the front door so staff and residents can easily see who’s outside
- Special flooring that allows residents to feel vibrations when someone enters a room or stomps the floor to get their attention
Some of the technology features that makes Bleu Moon Living more accessible and safer for its residents and staff.
- Bed shakers and strobe lights for smoke and carbon monoxide alerts, and wake-up alarms
- Fire-rated door with a window to allow staff to see if it’s safe to open during an emergency
- Indicator lights throughout the home that show when water or appliances are running
- Flashing doorbells in every bedroom so residents know when someone is outside their door
- Carefully selected wall colors to ensure signage is visible
Residents are expected to move into Bleu Moon Living in October.
Growing Housing Opportunities Across California
The Department’s Office of Community Development works with regional centers and housing developer organizations to develop homes for Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These homes give people safe, stable places to live in their communities, with services and supports that fit their goals and needs.
Bleu Moon, described in the prior article, is one example of the options for residential services for people with specialized service needs in California.
Right now, there are:
- 514 Specialized Residential Facilities (SRFs): These homes provide care specific to a person’s individual needs.
- 96 Adult Residential Facilities for Persons with Special Health Care Needs (ARFPSHNs): These homes serve the most medically fragile persons.
- 101 Enhanced Behavioral Support Homes (EBSHs): These homes serve persons with complex needs.
- 32 Community Crisis Homes (CCHs): These homes serve persons with complex needs for up to 18 months.
- 1 Group Home for Children with Special Health Care Needs (GHCSHN): This home serves medically fragile children and adolescents.
By December 2025, the Office of Community Development expects the opening of 5 more SRFs, 10 more EBSHs, 2 more GHCSHNs, 1 more ARFPSHN, and 2 more CCHs in different parts of California. The Department and regional centers keep working to make sure people can access quality housing in supportive, welcoming environments.