Over 800 individuals age out of foster care each year within Jackson County, Missouri. Good quality housing is critical to allow young persons who haven’t had stable homes throughout their formative years to start their adult life on the right foot. The reStart Housing development in the Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City provides permanent housing and support services for these young adults aging out of foster care, specifically those with mental health diagnoses. The project, housing 14 one-bedroom apartments, helps them move toward independence and self-sufficiency, preemptively preventing homelessness before it begins. The reStart apartments promote a strong sense of community for their residents. The building’s plan and section unfold as a series of intimate, open-air courtyards filled with sunlight that bring natural light deep into the center of the complex and allow cross-breeze ventilation into each of the dwellings. Each apartment was designed as a series of spaces providing varying levels of privacy or opportunities for social interaction, from bedroom to living room to the front porch area in the open air courtyard. Integration into a vital neighborhood was central to the project. A separate community building is attached to the main residential building by a common roof. The reStart Housing development is the result of more than five years of research, design, community engagement and governmental cooperation. The project represents an apartment complex that promotes the holistic development of young adults, creating an avenue for each resident to join our communities with support and dignity.