Maria Turley once thought she would spend the prime of her life in a nursing home.
Now she dreams of building a home for people like her who are physically disabled but want to remain independent.
The 45-year-old Columbia woman, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, found few programs were available to help keep disabled people out of nursing homes.
So she encouraged her church, St. Matthew Orthodox Mission of Columbia, to address the need.
On Friday, a private Baltimore corporation awarded $40,000 to a St. Matthew's nonprofit group to help develop an assisted living program for the physically disabled in the village of Kings Contrivance.
St. Matthew Housing Development Inc. received the grant from Start Up Inc., a private Baltimore corporation that gives seed money to religious groups that want to provide affordable housing.
The award came during a daylong conference on affordable housing for religious leaders at the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center on Friday.
Sponsored by the state Department of Housing and Community Development and the Central Maryland Ecumenical Council, the conference gave religious leaders a chance to gather information about affordable and special-needs housing.
The conference was designed "to allow religious organizations to network and share ideas," said Jesse Alfriend, administrator of the Housing Development Assistance Center, which provides technical assistance to nonprofit groups that want to house the disadvantaged.
More than 100 people attended the daylong conference that showcased religious-affiliated affordable housing projects across the state.
More than 40 nonprofit housing groups have started about 130 projects across the state, said Susan R. Gregson, spokeswoman for the state Department of Housing and Community Development.
In Howard County, a coalition of nine churches called Churches Concerned for the Homeless rents a single-family house to families who need help making the transition to independence.
State officials said religious organizations are an ideal source for affordable housing.
"They're built-in community support," Mr. Alfriend said. "Because their ties to the community and their commitment to the community, they will be there."
The St. Matthew group plans to build a two-story facility for 12 to 15 people who need help with personal chores such as dressing and bathing.
The building will be on a 1-acre lot next to the Kings Contrivance village center.
"It's going to be resident-oriented with support staff available to provide the level of assistance each individual needs," said Ms. Turley, a nurse-practitioner.
Those associated with the project were ecstatic to receive the money. "I have hope -- more than I ever have," said project manager Kristin Patico, who wants to start the program by 1997.
Church officials estimate that it will cost $1 million to develop and construct the building and $380,000 a year to operate it.
The $40,000 grant will be used to pay for preliminary costs such as architectural renderings and engineering studies.
To help meet construction and operating costs, the group plans to apply for grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, foundations and other organizations.
Those who are physically disabled said that they are looking forward to the start of the program.
"There is a great need for housing for physical disabled who can still contribute to society," said Richard Schneider, 50, of Columbia, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a motorized scooter.
Mr. Schneider said the dearth of housing for physically disabled people is so severe that he considered moving out of state.
But he changed his mind because he couldn't bear to leave his friends.
"It would mean leaving all sorts of friends and the community that's supported me for a long time," said Mr. Schneider, who lives in his own home in Harper's Choice and has an assistant help him with personal chores.
But he said an assisted-living program like the one being designed by St. Matthew would be cheaper for him, because he has to pay assistants for a set amount of time, even when he requires them for less time.
"I will not have to pay for specialized care that I need and [would] be helped for things I need help for," Mr. Schneider said. "With a place like St. Matthew's, there will be a number of [assistants] you can distribute between several people," he said.
"It's more cost-efficient."