Life-sharing: California's newest way to live independently

Life-sharing is a supported living arrangement where an adult with an intellectual or developmental disability shares a home with a carefully matched, vetted roommate who provides personalized day-to-day support. Unlike a group home, life-sharing happens in a real house or apartment in the community, with one dedicated roommate instead of rotating staff. It's an official model of Supported Living Services (SLS) funded through California Regional Centers.

A group home is a licensed facility with multiple residents and rotating shift staff. Life-sharing is one person living with one supportive roommate in a regular home in the community. The roommate is matched on personality and interests, not assigned by a shift schedule. The result is more independence, more privacy, and a genuine relationship rather than a care plan.

Life-sharing fits adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want more independence than a group home offers but still need consistent day-to-day support. It's a strong fit for Regional Center clients with SLS funding, families exhausted by group home churn, and self-advocates ready to choose where they live and who they live with.

Life-sharing support services are funded through California Regional Centers under the Supported Living Services (SLS) benefit. Most families pay nothing out of pocket for the support itself. Rent is handled case-by-case based on the individual's income, SSI, and Regional Center funding. It's never a fixed 50/50 split. We walk through the exact financial picture for your situation on the intro call.

Homies operates in California. Other states have similar life-sharing and shared-living models under different names. Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Massachusetts have established programs. In California, life-sharing is delivered through the Regional Center system, which makes the funding model uniquely accessible compared to most other states.

Every potential supportive roommate goes through state criminal court background checks, the National Sex Offender database, multiple reference checks, and in-depth interviews. They complete required training before any match is made. We have a zero-tolerance policy for violations. Past the paperwork, we look for character and a real wish to support someone's independence.

If a match isn't working, we find out why and find a better fit. No one is ever left without support. In practice, this is rare. Our matching process produces a 95%+ success rate across 100+ matches.