NORWELL — July 22, 2026 — The Norwell Select Board heard a presentation from SAIL Homes on Wednesday evening regarding an innovative supported housing model for neurodivergent adults, while taking action to advance critical public safety infrastructure and manage town personnel.
The Full Story
Representatives from SAIL Homes—a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Supported Access to Independent Living for adults with autism and intellectual development disabilities—presented their successful residential project in Scituate and discussed potential future collaboration with Norwell. Executive Director Marynell Henry and co-founder Wendy Ellison detailed how their Scituate facility retrofitted an existing commercial building into three specialized apartments serving eight residents.
The model relies heavily on embedded assistive technology, including virtual monitoring platforms and smart household systems, allowing adults to live semi-independently without requiring full-time on-site caregivers. Funding for the Scituate project combined philanthropic donations, Community Preservation Act (CPA) housing funds, and state earmarks. Board members expressed strong interest in exploring similar opportunities in Norwell, noting potential synergy with the town’s Village Residential Overlay District and local housing trusts.
“Over 70% [of adults with autism] are living at home with aging caregivers... As a parent, my husband and I lay awake at night saying, ‘Who is going to take care of our son? Where is he going to live?’” [18:00] — Marynell Henry, Executive Director & Co-Founder, SAIL Homes
