Hope House has broken ground on a new 54-acre campus in Liberty Hill designed to give up to 80 adults with profound disabilities a permanent place to call home. The project, consisting of 10 small family-style houses plus a shared community center, aims to tackle a problem the nonprofit says has only gotten worse: a years-long waitlist and a steady stream of families it has to turn away for lack of space.
A Long-Awaited Groundbreaking
The organization broke ground on the new campus in September, according to Community Impact. Each of the 10 planned homes will include a kitchen, dining room, bedrooms and living room, and the campus will also feature a community center for group activities, vocational opportunities, therapy and caregiver training. Hope House purchased the 54-acre property to make the expansion possible, the outlet reports.
The scale of the plan reflects demand that Hope House says it cannot currently meet. On its website, the nonprofit states that it turns away 10 to 15 children every month simply because it does not have space, and that Hope House's waiting list stretches 10 to 12 years. Hope House also says it operates five homes and provides a permanent family and safe environment for nearly 50 residents, relying on 60 to 64 direct-care staff working three shifts daily to provide round-the-clock supervision.
Residents Who Have Nowhere Else to Go
Dave Gould, who spoke about the project, said caregivers have supported Hope House through holidays, early mornings, and both difficult and good days for 60 years. He said residents need individual bedrooms and opportunities to socialize, adding that they deserve a life, not just somewhere to stay. Gould said Hope House is committed to its residents’ lifelong future and to building a community where they are known, connected and needed, and the nonprofit says it is sustained by volunteers, donors and staff working toward that goal.
Hope House traces its roots back decades. Rose McGarrigle began caring for children with special needs in her own Austin home in 1966, according to the Liberty Hill Independent. The first official Hope House near Liberty Hill followed in 1976, paid for with donations, per the Lariat in Liberty Hill. Hope House also provides foster care and lifelong care for children with special needs.
Fundraising Push Tied to the New Campus
To help pay for the expansion, Hope House launched a Community Chest fundraising fund at the September groundbreaking. Gifts of $100 or more will be recognized on a wall inside the new community center, the organization’s report to Community Impact notes. The nonprofit will also hold its Hopeopoly fundraising gala this Saturday, October 24, at Haute Spot in Cedar Park.
Plans have also called for two duplexes for 16 children. A 2024 expansion plan had earlier called for three duplex-style units, each meant to house eight children, with Hope House prioritizing applicants from Williamson and Travis counties while turning away six to eight applications a month due to capacity limits at the time.
Rebuilding After the Flood
The push for a larger, more resilient campus follows a harrowing setback. Severe flooding in July 2025 inundated all of the bedrooms, day areas, kitchen and offices on Hope House’s main campus, and crews had to evacuate 13 children and three staff members by helicopter, according to KUT. More than 300 volunteers turned out afterward to help clean up the property, the station reported.
The shortage Hope House is trying to address is not unique to Liberty Hill. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has said it will continue using attrition slots in its Home and Community-based Services program to meet the needs of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in crisis situations and those transitioning out of institutions, according to the agency. Similar gaps have drawn attention elsewhere, including in Massachusetts, where an advocate has been pushing for a statewide expansion of family-style communities for adults with disabilities and their caregivers, as reported by The Swellesley Report.
For now, the focus in Liberty Hill stays local: a construction site on 54 acres that organizers hope will eventually mean fewer families turned away, and more adults with profound disabilities given what Hope House calls a true forever home.
