California's First Life-Sharing Program
Live independently. With someone who cares.
Your loved one deserves a real home, a genuine friendship, and the independence to live life on their terms. We make that happen.
Life-sharing, defined
What is life-sharing?
Life-sharing pairs an adult with a developmental disability with one roommate who shares their home, their routines and their life. Not rotating staff. One person, one match, built to last.
Homies is California's first life-sharing program and a vendored shared living provider through the Regional Center system. For most families it is the group home alternative they did not know existed.
The difference shows up in ordinary things. Nobody clocks out at 10pm. Dinner happens when the two of them are hungry, not when a shift schedule says so. When something goes wrong at 2am, the person who helps is someone who knows how your son takes his coffee, not whoever the agency sent that week.
- Who it's for
- Adults with an intellectual or developmental disability who are clients of a California Regional Center, and who want their own home without living in it alone. Most people we match keep the day program, job or classes they already have. Life-sharing changes where someone lives, not what they do with their day. Parents and siblings help shape the match and meet the roommate before anyone moves in.
- What it costs
- The support is funded through the Regional Center under Supported Living Services, so families pay nothing out of pocket for it. Rent, utilities and groceries stay the person's own, the same as for any other tenant, and most cover them with SSI or benefits they already receive.
- Who owns the home
- The two people living in it. Homies is not a landlord. We help both roommates find a place, then step back from the lease, so nobody can move your son or daughter out of their own home.
New to the terms? Our glossary explains SLS, IPP and IDD in plain English.
Natalia & Kate
Natalia's 21st birthday, at home. Kate is her roommate, not her shift.
Stories of connection
Real matches, in their own words.
Which one is you?
Four ways people come to Homies. Pick yours and we will take it from there.
Families
You want a real home for your son or daughter, and you want to know who they will be living with.
Start hereAdults with a disability
You are a Regional Center client and you want your own place, with someone you chose.
See if you qualifySupportive roommates
You have room in your home and your life, and you would rather share both than rent to a stranger.
Explore the roleService coordinators
You have a client who needs an alternative to a group home. We handle the paperwork.
Refer a clientYour peace of mind
Checked before they ever meet your loved one
Every supportive roommate is screened through state criminal court systems and the National Sex Offender database. They complete required training, pass multiple interviews, and must meet strict qualifications before being matched.
After move-in, our team conducts regular check-ins, maintains 24/7 availability, and ensures your loved one is safe, supported, and thriving.
- FBI & DOJ background checks
- Multiple reference verifications
- Required training before any match
- Regular check-ins after move-in
- 24/7 emergency support
How it works
Three steps, and we walk every one of them with you.
Create Your Profile
Tell us about yourself, your interests, and what you're looking for in a supportive roommate or Homie.
Get Matched
Our team carefully reviews profiles and suggests compatible matches based on shared interests, lifestyle, and support needs.
Meet & Connect
Meet your potential matches virtually and in-person. Take your time to find the perfect fit for your life-sharing journey.
Meet Garrett
Garrett lives with his roommate in his own place. Here is what a week looks like, in his words.
Find us in your area.
Homies is a vendored Supported Living Services provider with Regional Centers across Southern California. Select your Regional Center to learn more about life-sharing in your area.
For service coordinatorsServing: San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon
Learn more about SDRCServing: Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Orange
Learn more about RCOCServing: Riverside, San Bernardino, Fontana, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga
Learn more about IRCServing: Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, Culver City, Mar Vista
Learn more about WRCServing: Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena, Eagle Rock
Learn more about LRCServing: South Los Angeles, Compton, Lynwood, Watts, Florence, Willowbrook
Learn more about SCLARCServing: Pomona, West Covina, Covina, Azusa, Glendora, Diamond Bar
Learn more about SGPRCServing: East Los Angeles, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Whittier, La Mirada, Norwalk
Learn more about ELARCServing: Long Beach, Torrance, Carson, Lakewood, Redondo Beach, San Pedro
Learn more about HRCServing: Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Valencia, Newhall, Saugus
Learn more about NLACRCServing: Ventura, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo
Learn more about TCRCCommon questions
The things families and prospective roommates ask us first.
Who pays for life-sharing?
California Regional Centers do. Homies is a vendored Supported Living Services (SLS) provider, so the support a person receives from their roommate is funded through their Regional Center. Families pay nothing out of pocket for the support itself. The client keeps paying their own living expenses, rent, utilities and groceries, which most cover with SSI or other benefits they already receive.
How long does it take to get matched?
Two to six months, usually. We do not hand over a list of available people and wish you luck. Our team meets your loved one, learns how they actually live, and then looks for someone whose routines, interests, and temperament fit. Both people meet several times before anyone signs a lease.
How is this different from a group home?
A group home has residents and shift staff. Life-sharing has two roommates in a regular apartment or house in the community. There is no schedule of caregivers rotating through the door, no house rules written by an agency, no set dinner time. Your loved one chooses where they live, who they live with, and what their day looks like.
Who can become a supportive roommate, and what do they earn?
Adults who pass FBI and DOJ background checks, a National Sex Offender database search, reference checks, a compatibility assessment, and required training. Supportive roommates get free housing plus a tax-free stipend funded through the Regional Center, and they keep their own jobs and their own lives. It is a home, not a shift.
Does Homies provide the housing?
No. We help both people find a place together, but we are not a landlord and we are not a party to the lease. That matters: the home belongs to the people living in it, not to a provider who can move someone out of it.
Can we choose the roommate?
Yes. Nobody moves in on our say-so. We bring you people we believe fit, your loved one meets them more than once, and the family is part of those conversations. If someone already has a person in mind, a friend, a former aide, a cousin, we can work with that arrangement instead of starting over.
What if the match does not work out?
We stay in it. Every pair gets a program manager who checks in regularly, and there is a support line staffed around the clock. When friction comes up we mediate first, because most of it is ordinary roommate friction. If a match genuinely is not right, we look for a new one. In more than a hundred matches, that has happened about twice.
Where does Homies operate?
California. We are vendored with Regional Centers across the state, from San Diego up through the Tri-Counties. If you are already living with a roommate somewhere else, our resources and guidance are still open to you.
Still deciding? Read the full FAQ, compare life-sharing with group homes, or talk to a person.
Ready to talk it through?
Tell us about your loved one, or about the home you could share. A real person from our team calls you back.