GLENDALE, AZ — For Katie Baker, the vision is already taking shape.
The Glendale woman, who has attended One Step Beyond's Glendale campus since 2016, is building a vision board for her future condo: beach coastal cottage décor, her den, and dinner nights with close friends who would live just steps away.
"I have friends that want to live really close," Baker said. "We want to do days of the week so that we can just hang out at the house and have days that we can cook for each other."
That vision has a name: Nikki's Next Step. And for the first time, it has a price tag, a timeline, and a capital campaign behind it.
What is Nikki’s Next Step?
One Step Beyond, a Glendale-based nonprofit that has provided programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for more than 25 years, has formally purchased more than three acres in Glendale for an inclusive residential community designed specifically for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The City of Glendale approved rezoning for the property earlier this year. The organization is now publicly launching an $8 million capital campaign representing approximately 30% of the total project cost to make it a reality.
The community will feature one- and two-bedroom condominiums. In a departure from traditional housing models, residents will have ownership opportunities, allowing families to build long-term stability and equity while securing permanent housing for their loved ones.
"As opposed to a rent or lease-based structure, we're providing one that is fee simple, and people can mortgage," said Jeff Swanson, CEO of One Step Beyond.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with completion anticipated in late 2027 and residents moving in during early 2028.
Who was Nikki?
The project is named for a young woman whose impact on the One Step Beyond community continues to inspire its mission today.
Nikki did not have a disability herself, but she grew up alongside Carrie, a longtime One Step Beyond participant, and the two shared a close friendship from the organization's earliest days. Nikki believed Carrie and her friends deserved the same opportunities, independence, and sense of belonging as anyone else.
As a devoted One Step Beyond volunteer, Nikki was known for her kindness, encouragement, and unconditional acceptance. She saw people for their abilities and gifts, not their disabilities. She passed away from cancer far too young.
"Nikki cared tremendously," Swanson said. "She didn't have a disability, but she saw the passion, the will, the grace, the excitement for the people that we have, and she wanted to be a part of it."
Katie Baker has her own connection to Nikki's legacy. She is a close friend of Carrie, the One Step Beyond participant who grew up alongside Nikki.
The need is urgent
The numbers behind this project are striking.
Only about 3% of the 45,000 individuals with disabilities in Arizona are able to secure housing outside of their family homes. In Maricopa County alone, roughly 40,000 people need programs like One Step Beyond, and 10,000 of them live with a caregiver over the age of 65.
"If you believe in the natural way of life, the likelihood is the caregiver is gonna move on prior to this individual," Swanson said. "And if we can provide somewhere that's safe, secure, long-term...that's what the parents are looking for."
Beyond the shortage of affordable options, traditional housing models can also lead to isolation, something Swanson says is already a major issue within the disability community.
"Independence should never mean loneliness," he said. "One of the things we hear from families over and over again is that they want their loved ones to not only be safe, but also happy, socially connected and engaged in life."
Nikki's Next Step is designed to address both challenges. The community will be located near 67th Avenue and Bell Road in Glendale, just a short distance from One Step Beyond's existing Glendale campus, so residents can continue attending day programs while living independently at night.
Residents will also have access to home and community-based services, including respite care, attending care, and habilitation support for daily needs like medication management.
A model for the nation
One Step Beyond currently serves just under 1,000 people across five Arizona campuses, in Glendale, Surprise, Peoria, Scottsdale, and Southwest Phoenix, and three locations in San Carlos, California. Swanson says the need is only growing.
He also believes Nikki's Next Step has the potential to become a national model for supportive housing communities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"The need for long-term, inclusive housing for adults with IDD is not unique to Arizona," he said. "Our hope is that Nikki's Next Step demonstrates what is possible when organizations, families, donors and community leaders come together around a shared vision of inclusion and independence."
How to help
One Step Beyond is seeking support from community members, employers, and foundations to help reach its $8 million fundraising goal.
"My hope is that one of your viewers might see this and be like, you know what, I wanna help," Swanson said. "However someone can help, I'd like them to come alongside of us and help."
For Katie Baker, the message is simpler.
"Keep calm and collected," she said, "because you never know what life brings to you."
To learn more about Nikki's Next Step or to contribute to the capital campaign, visit osbi.org/nns.
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