By Vibhav Nandagiri
Set against the gently rolling Piedmont hills between Greensboro and Burlington, Peacehaven Community Farm is an active experiment in supporting the choices of people with disabilities to live an active and meaningful life where they choose.
Beds of lettuce, collards, green beans and other seasonal staples grow alongside dahlias and sunflowers on the 89-acre property. On “garden work days,” people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their loved ones and volunteers from nearby converge to work the farm — tilling the soil, rooting out weeds, picking flowers and produce.
Some of the vegetables they harvest are used on the property, while others are sold at an onsite pop-up market. One of their largest buyers is the BackPack Beginnings family market, a community market serving families with children experiencing food insecurity in Guilford County. Peacehaven is part of the Care Farming Network, a group that sees agriculture as part cultivating land, part therapy for vulnerable groups. In 2023, 286 volunteers participated in garden work days for a total of 612 hours, according to Peacehaven’s team.
But Peacehaven is more than just a farm. It’s a community that’s rethinking how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live and work.
Susan Elliott, a Summerfield resident who had a son with cerebral palsy, bought the land where Peacehaven farm now blossoms with her husband, Tim, in 2007, two years before she died. They envisioned an inclusive space where people of all abilities could work in nature. After their community garden became a huge hit, they decided to expand into supportive housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In 2014, with help from Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, Peacehaven broke ground on a 5,000-square-foot home for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live more independently. The house, named Susan’s View in Elliott’s honor, was designed to house four to five people, known as “core members,” who would live in the house with two permanent staff members.
Ten years later, Peacehaven is looking to expand in a big way.
“What we’re trying to do … is truly build a model community that shows what it can be like to have people of all abilities living together and learning and growing from each other,” said Phelps Sprinkle, Peacehaven’s chief executive officer.
The nonprofit is trying to raise more than $12 million dollars for a 24,000-square-foot community center and event space, with the goal of construction completed by the end of 2025.
The next phase of growth is more housing. The team’s goal is to construct 50 to 60 units for about 200 people. The team hopes to include a mix of multi- and single-family homes, according to Cory Phillips, Peacehaven director of advancement, and break ground on that project in 2026. These homes will be open to people with a wide range of abilities — from those who can manage their daily living on their own to others who need ’round-the-clock care.
Policy barriers
Peacehaven is embarking on expansion plans at a time when people with disabilities are becoming more vocal about the dearth of housing options and community support systems across the state.
In late June, national disability rights advocates protested at the General Assembly for more housing and support services. NC Health News recently reported on a 29-year-old man with cerebral palsy who has waited for more than three months to be discharged from WakeMed hospital because of a lack of affordable, supportive housing.
The justice system has found North Carolina in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act and of the landmark Olmstead ruling that prohibits the unjustified segregation of people with disabilities.
These violations were brought to light in 2012 after a Justice Department investigation into adult care homes and again with the Samantha R case, which was recently settled by the State Department of Health and Human Services after a judge ruled against the state in 2022.
Despite legal pressure to provide disability services at home and in communities, barriers persist. As of March 2024, there were 17,870 people on the waitlist for the NC Innovations Waiver, a key Medicaid program that funds services like home renovations and structural modifications, employment assistance and direct support professionals to help with daily living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Meanwhile, those direct support professionals are underpaid, according to disability rights advocates, resulting in what the State Department of Health and Human Services has called a “critical shortage” of workers.
Another hindrance for community living has been the lack of affordable housing across the state, with housing subsidies available primarily for properties with multiple units.
On July 3, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed House Bill 556, which lays out more specific rules for co-tenants in rental housing, among other things, with a nod toward the problems that many people with disabilities encounter when looking for housing.
“This bill would make it harder for low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities to find affordable rental housing by preventing local governments from protecting against rent discrimination based on lawful income,” Cooper said in a statement accompanying the news of his veto. “It also creates legal ambiguity regarding when eviction orders become effective and the potential for increased legal expenses for renters in disputes with landlords.” The bill was not revived during the 2024 short session.
Rep. Zach Hawkins, D-Durham, prepares for a news conference announcing House Bill 1003 alongside disability rights advocates. Credit: Vibhav Nandagiri
House Bill 1003, a bipartisan omnibus spending bill, was filed in May to help support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live in communities of their choosing by addressing the waiver waitlist, worker shortages and the affordable housing crisis. But lawmakers wrapped up most of their business during this recent legislative short session before the new fiscal year began on July 1, and HB1003 did not move out of the House appropriations committee.
While statewide policy efforts have been slow, the Peacehaven team has been working to do what it can to provide more affordable opportunities for inclusive housing and living support.
Life at Peacehaven
Jeff Piegari, 34, has lived at Peacehaven longer than any other resident. He’s been at Susan’s View since 2014.
Piegari, who has ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, grew up in New Jersey before moving to North Carolina. He enrolled in Beyond Academics, a certificate program at UNC Greensboro for people with intellectual disabilities who are looking to expand their job opportunities after high school graduation. But after four years at UNC, Piegari tired of living in a college dorm and wanted more independence, he told NC Health News.
As a student, Piegari had volunteered at Peacehaven’s community garden, so when the opportunity arose for people to apply to live at the farm, he raised his hand immediately and became one of the first core members at Susan’s View. “I cannot believe it’s 10 years,” Piegari told NC Health News.
The weekly schedule for core members mixes work and planned activities while also leaving room for exploring personal interests. Credit: Vibhav Nandagiri / NC Health News
Residents of Susan’s View have busy schedules. Days start at 7 a.m., and assigned chores start soon after. During the mornings, the core members tend to the farm or take part in planned activities. Lunches are a group affair, often using the fresh produce they’ve grown. Some of the core members have part-time jobs off the farm, including at local restaurants; Peacehaven staff give them rides to and from their workplaces.
Throughout the day, members are able to explore their interests, from piano lessons to exercise classes and even group trips to museums.
“One of the blessings of Peacehaven is that people can have individual schedules,” said Pat Piegari, Jeff’s father.
After dinner, residents of Susan’s View are given time to decompress before bedtime. For Piegari, that means listening to music. Classical music helps Piegari relax, but he’s also a big fan of The Beatles and Frank Sinatra.
An avid drummer, Piegari plays in a community band in Greensboro. More recently, he’s picked up the ukulele and takes online lessons once a week. “I sometimes mess around trying to learn new stuff,” Piegari said.
He has a podcast, too, where he interviews musicians, conductors and screenwriters about their creative process. For Piegari, it’s about learning how music can make people feel and how it can help people with disabilities, including his fellow residents.
Residential life at Peacehaven has changed considerably over the past decade. The staff has grown, and volunteers have come and gone. “It’s really challenging to say goodbye,” Piegari said.
For Peacehaven residents and their loved ones, the next few years will be the biggest transition yet.
“It’s going to change dramatically,” said the older Piegari.
Jeff Piegari, pictured here sitting at his desk, has lived at Susan’s View since 2014. Credit: Vibhav Nandagiri / NC Health News
Partnering with Medicaid
While change is in the air, Peacehaven’s team recognizes the culture they have built over the past few years.
Cory Phillips, Peacehaven’s director of advancement, described the balance between maintaining community and managing the organization’s growth as an “interesting dance.”
“We don’t want to leave our identity behind,” he added.
Key to this identity is a spirit of inclusion. In addition to promoting diversity of abilities, Sprinkle, executive director at Peacehaven, and his team want to foster socioeconomic diversity. He stressed the importance of subsidizing housing for those who want to live at Peacehaven but can’t afford to pay full rent.
In addition to private philanthropy, Peacehaven’s team hopes that Medicaid can open a pathway to more subsidies. Health care dollars from Medicaid programs, such as the Innovations Waiver and the 1915i waiver, can be used to fund housing, staffing and daily programming for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to Adam Barnes, director of housing at Peacehaven. One of Peacehaven’s next targets is to become a licensed Medicaid provider.
“Medicaid … just allows us to offer better care,” Barnes told NC Health News.
To receive Medicaid money, Barnes said, Peacehaven must contract with Trillium Health Resources, Guilford County’s managed care organization for people with mental health disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injury. Trillium — initially based in eastern North Carolina — consolidated with two other managed care organizations in February and now manages patients in 48 counties, including Guilford.
“Tapping into Medicaid funding is something that, in theory, can be replicable for other folks,” Barnes said.
‘Things are going well’
Janet Troy learned of Peacehaven through a Google search. She was living in Houston at the time, and she and her husband wanted to move to North Carolina.
Troy’s 37-year old daughter, Autumn, has Patau syndrome and had been in an assisted living facility in the Houston area for more than a decade. Things had been good for a while; then came COVID-19, and Autumn returned home to stay with her parents. When she moved back to the facility, many of her friends didn’t return.
The living room at Peacehaven is a shared space for core members. Credit: Vibhav Nandagiri / NC Health News
“The pandemic messed her up,” Troy said.
After Troy found Peacehaven online, the family visited in April 2023 and decided it was the right place for Autumn. It brought a sense of relief to Troy and her husband. “We don’t know how much longer we have to live,” she said.
Autumn moved into Peacehaven in September. According to her mom, she’s enjoying her new home. “We don’t hear from her much anymore,” Troy said. “That tells us things are going very well.”
At Peacehaven, Autumn has helped set up an onsite library. She had always wanted to be a public librarian, her mom said, and the Peacehaven team arranged an opportunity for her to shadow a librarian at the Elon University library. Autumn is part of a cohort of adults with disabilities who attend job preparedness programming at Peacehaven, an initiative the team hopes to grow in the coming years.
Troy is invested in Peacehaven for the long run. She hopes that, with the building of new housing on the property, Peacehaven may play a more direct role in her and her husband’s future. “Maybe we could live close to Autumn when we can no longer drive,” she said. “I hope that works out.”
Some of Peacehaven’s additional offerings
Core members take frequent trips to the Alamance County YMCA for exercise.
Volunteers and core members participate in a fiber arts program to create wool wrapping for holiday decorations and soaps.
Volunteers regularly prepare food and share group meals with Peacehaven’s core members.
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