Life-sharing vs. group homes
Two Regional Center–funded options. Different homes, different lives. Here is the honest comparison — no spin, no scare tactics.
- 100+ matches across California
- 95%+ match success
- Vendored across 11 Regional Centers
At a glance
The same questions families ask on every intake call. Side by side, so you can compare without scrolling between tabs.
| What you are comparing | Group home | Life-sharing (SLS) |
|---|---|---|
| Who lives there | 4–6 adults with IDD, often strangers when assigned | One adult with IDD and one carefully matched supportive roommate |
| Staffing model | Rotating shift staff; different faces across the week | One consistent roommate who lives there full-time |
| Independence level | Facility schedule, supervised routines, limited personal choice | Daily life shaped by the individual, with support built around their goals |
| Cost / funding source | Regional Center–funded as a residential care facility (ICF/DD or CCF) | Regional Center–funded through Supported Living Services (SLS) |
| Typical setting | Licensed facility, often shared bedrooms, institutional layout | Regular apartment or house in a real neighborhood |
| Roommate selection | Assigned by bed availability | Matched on personality, interests, lifestyle, and support needs |
| Social experience | Group outings, peers with varied needs, fewer 1:1 friendships | Genuine friendship with one person; community-based daily life |
| Support hours | 24/7 on-site staff supervision | Support available as needed; roommate is present, not constantly supervising |
| Move-in timeline | Depends on bed openings; weeks to many months on waitlists | Typically 6–12 weeks from first call to move-in |
Both options are funded through California Regional Centers. Most families pay nothing out of pocket for support services in either model.
The honest case for group homes
Group homes are not a lesser option. They exist because some adults genuinely need what they provide: licensed staff on-site, around the clock, trained for medical and behavioral complexity. When that is the actual need, a well-run group home is the right home.
A group home may be the right fit when an adult:
- Needs constant eyes-on supervision and cannot safely be alone, even briefly.
- Has significant medical needs that require licensed nursing on-site.
- Is in behavioral crisis stabilization and needs a trained team available every shift.
- Prefers a highly structured environment where routines are predictable and externally managed.
- Is not interested in or ready for the responsibilities of more independent living.
If any of these describe your family member, we will tell you so. We refer families to group homes when that is the better fit.
Where life-sharing wins
For adults who can be safe with the right person — not constant supervision — life-sharing changes the shape of daily life.
Independence, not maintenance
A supportive roommate helps with cooking, budgeting, transportation, and daily living skills — gradually building the individual's ability to manage more on their own. The goal is growth, not just keeping the day moving.
One person, not rotating staff
Group home staff turnover is a structural reality. Life-sharing is the opposite: one consistent roommate who shares meals, runs errands, watches TV, and shows up every day. Trust compounds.
A real apartment, a real neighborhood
Not a facility. A regular home, on a regular street, with coffee shops and parks and neighbors. Community integration happens by default, not as a scheduled outing.
Friendship as the model
The roommate is not clocking in. They live there. Over months and years that relationship becomes the foundation everything else stands on — and it is why our matches last.
Cost: who pays for what
This is the most common misconception we hear: that life-sharing must cost more because it sounds nicer. It does not.
Both group homes and life-sharing are funded through California's Regional Center system. Group homes are billed as residential care facilities — usually a Community Care Facility (CCF) or an Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICF/DD). Life-sharing is funded through Supported Living Services (SLS).
In life-sharing, the individual is the lease-holder on a regular apartment. Rent is paid out of their SSI/SSDI benefits and is typically structured so the individual covers their share of housing costs the same way any other tenant would. Rent splits with the supportive roommate are never 50/50 — they are case-by-case, based on Regional Center funding and what the individual's budget can carry. The support services themselves — matching, vetting, training, program management, 24/7 support line — are funded through SLS.
The decision should be based on fit, not on price. For most California families, both options are no-cost or near-no-cost for the support services.
Real story
Stevenson: from a group home to his own home
For years, Stevenson lived in a group home — one of thousands of adults with developmental disabilities in California facing limited choices about where and how they live.
He wanted his own space. He wanted to choose what to eat, when to go out, how to spend his time. His family found Homies, his coordinator at San Diego Regional Center authorized SLS, and we got to work matching him.
Today Stevenson lives in his own apartment with a supportive roommate. He surfs. He celebrates the holidays with friends. He makes his own decisions, every day. The difference between the group home and the home he has now is not the building. It is who he gets to be inside it.
Read Stevenson’s full story →How to move from a group home to life-sharing
The transition is more straightforward than most families expect. Here is the actual sequence.
- 1
Talk to your Regional Center service coordinator
Tell them you want to explore Supported Living Services and add SLS to the next Individual Program Plan (IPP). You do not need to wait for the annual meeting — you can request an interim IPP.
- 2
Get a vendored SLS provider authorized
Homies is a vendored SLS provider across California Regional Centers. Your coordinator can authorize Homies to begin the intake and matching process.
- 3
Complete intake with Homies
We meet with the individual and family to understand routines, preferences, support needs, and goals. This is where good matches start.
- 4
Meet potential roommates
We present vetted matches. You meet them — in person, virtually, more than once. No pressure, no rush.
- 5
Sign a lease and coordinate the move
Homies helps with housing search, lease signing, and the actual logistics of leaving the group home. Most transitions take two to four weeks once the match is confirmed.
- 6
Settle in, with ongoing support
Monthly program manager check-ins, 24/7 support line, and a real human you can call. We do not disappear after move-in.
Frequently asked questions
The questions families ask on every intake call about choosing between life-sharing and a group home.
Keep reading
SLS vs. Group Homes
A deeper look at how Supported Living Services compares to traditional group home care.
Read articleAlternatives to Group Homes in California
Every Regional Center–funded option families should know about, not just life-sharing.
Read articleWhat Is Life-Sharing?
The plain-English guide to how life-sharing actually works day to day.
Read articleNot sure which one fits your family?
We will tell you honestly. If a group home is the better call, we will say so. If life-sharing is worth exploring, we will walk you through it — no pressure, no rush.