Taylor Morrison, Banner MD Anderson and the Banner Health Foundation broke ground on eight homes in Gilbert, AZ, as part of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Home Away from Home program, which provides housing and financial assistance to patients who travel to the Valley for care at Banner MD Anderson.
The community, which will include 16 homes upon completion, will provide lodging for 160 patients each year, giving them the assurance of a safe and comfortable home and community while receiving treatment or recovering from surgery. The first eight homes donated and built by Taylor Morrison are estimated to be complete in early 2024 for patients and their caregivers to begin moving in.
“There’s no greater gift we can provide than the comfort of home and for patients to be with their loved ones as they undergo the physical and emotional journey of cancer treatment,” said Taylor Morrison Chairman and CEO Sheryl Palmer. “What we’re building is a community of healing, and we hope patients can feel the healing benefits that a sense of community brings when living near other patients going through similar health experiences in beautiful, clean, new homes just steps away from their medical team.”
While many patients can afford a short hotel stay, few are prepared to pay for long-term lodging—especially those whose treatment protocol requires weeks to months of daily therapy or close post-surgical monitoring. Last year, thousands of patients traveled more than 30 miles each way for care at Banner MD Anderson, and 330 of those patients came from outside of Arizona. For many, affording a place to stay during treatment is the difference between receiving care or not, spurring the creation of Banner MD Anderson’s existing Home Away from Home program, which presently places patients in hotels at discounted rates.
The homes will draw upon Taylor Morrison’s build-to-rent brand, Yardly, featuring approximately 1,000 sq. ft. floor plans, complete with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, laundry, gathering room, and private backyards for patients and their children and care partners to enjoy. The thoughtfully designed homes will come fully furnished to promote well-being and recovery and will be within walking distance of Banner MD Anderson.
“Staying close to the hospital during the course of treatment is vital for patients, but not all are able to afford the nearby lodging required for the treatment their lives depend on,” said Michael Herring, Chief Executive Officer at Banner Gateway Medical Center and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Thanks to the support of Taylor Morrison, we’re thrilled to expand upon our successful Home Away from Home program with a dedicated community of patient housing.”
Led by a group of committed community leaders, the Home Away from Home campaign began in 2019 with the goal of supporting cancer patients whose treatment protocol spans 30 or more days and who lack local housing. This patient population includes those undergoing a stem-cell transplant, who need to be within 30 minutes of the facility to qualify for their transplant and for post-operative monitoring, as well as blood cancer patients who receive daily treatment for weeks or months.
Thanks to charitable gifts from individuals, families, businesses and foundations, including Thunderbirds Charities and the American Cancer Society, the program now assists qualifying patients with all types of cancer where proximity to their care team is vitally important. A patient without local lodging can spend, on average, $5,500 in hotel stays—even with Banner MD Anderson’s discounted rate.
