The market need that Eva Sophia Project is designed to address is substantial and increasing. There are far more adult residents of Minnesota with developmental disabilities (DD) than there are safe, supportive, and affordable residential settings - designed to accommodate their needs and wants throughout their lifespans.

Per the Minnesota State Demographic Center in March 2017, of the 227,200 people identified with cognitive DD in the State of Minnesota, 24% live with caregivers aged 60 or older who themselves may need supportive settings in the next decade. An additional 35% are caregivers aged 41-59 who may wish to plan for their loved one’s future. Gone are the days when individuals with DD had to live with family for most of their lives. They want more out of life and some independence.

This aligns with a report published in 2024 by the Residential Information Systems Project (RISP) of the University of Minnesota titled "Long-Term Supports and Services for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends Through Fiscal Year 2020." According to this report there were 155,250 people with DD in the State of Minnesota. Of that 155,250 total, 34,673 were 18 years of age or older. And 61% percent of that total live with a family caregiver. Only 11% live in a home of their own.

Eva Sophia Project’s residential setting plans to offer an attractive solution for adults with DD and families that is unique to the region. The for-sale model means Eva Sophia Project will not be completely dependent on fundraising to build and operate its residential setting, but in fact is designed to be financially self-sustaining once fully occupied.

The need of the population Eva Sophia Project plans to serve for this type of supportive housing continues to grow. There are far more adult residents of Minnesota who have developmental disabilities (DD) than safe, supportive, and affordable residential settings designed to accommodate their needs and wants throughout their lifespan. Of the 132,216 people who have DD in the State of Minnesota, 24 percent live with caregivers aged 60 or older who themselves may need supportive settings in the next decade. Gone are the days when individuals who have DD had to live with family most of their lives. They want more out of life and to grow to be independent.