Regional Center Housing: How to Get Housing Support Through Your Regional Center
Most families find out about Regional Centers the same way: someone at a school meeting, a doctor's office, or a support group mentions it in passing. "Have you looked into Regional Center?" And then the research spiral begins — dozens of acronyms, vague eligibility language, and no clear path from "my adult child needs a place to live" to an actual front door with their name on the lease.
Here is what makes it confusing: Regional Centers do not provide housing. They never have. What they do fund are the services that make housing work — the support staff, the skills training, the roommate matching, the daily living assistance. Understanding that distinction is the single most important thing you can learn about the system, because it changes what you ask for and how you ask for it.
What Regional Centers Actually Do
California operates 21 Regional Centers across the state, each serving a specific geographic area. These are nonprofit organizations contracted by the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to coordinate and fund services for people with developmental disabilities.
The model works like this: your loved one gets assessed, receives a service coordinator, develops a plan, and then Regional Center pays approved vendors to deliver the services in that plan. Regional Center is the funding source and the coordinator. The vendors — organizations like Homies — do the actual work on the ground.
Who Qualifies for Regional Center Services?
To receive services through a Regional Center, an individual must have a qualifying developmental disability that originated before age 18. The five qualifying conditions are:
Intellectual disability
Cerebral palsy
Epilepsy
Autism spectrum disorder
Other conditions originating before age 18 that cause substantial disability and require services similar to those needed by someone with an intellectual disability
These services are lifelong. Unlike school-based supports that end at 22, Regional Center eligibility does not expire. If your loved one already receives Regional Center services, they are eligible to explore housing support options right now.
The Four Main Housing Pathways
When families ask Regional Center about housing, they are really asking about which service model will support their loved one in a living situation. Here are the four primary pathways, each with different levels of independence and support.
1. Group Homes (Community Care Facilities)
Group homes are licensed residential facilities where 4 to 6 adults with disabilities live together with 24/7 staff. They offer the highest level of supervision and are funded through Regional Center.
Best for: Individuals who need constant, around-the-clock support, have complex medical needs, or require trained behavioral staff at all times.
The reality: Group homes across California carry significant waitlists. Many families spend months or years waiting for a spot to open. The structured, facility-based environment also means less personal choice in daily routines, meals, and housemates.
2. Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF/DD)
ICFs are a step above group homes in terms of medical and behavioral support. These are state-licensed health facilities, not just residential care. They serve individuals with the most intensive needs.
Best for: Individuals with severe medical conditions or behavioral needs that require a clinical-level setting.
The reality: Availability is extremely limited, and the environment is more institutional than community-based.
3. Supported Living Services (SLS)
SLS flips the model. Instead of moving into a facility, the individual lives in their own apartment or home in the community and receives personalized support services funded by Regional Center. Support can range from a few hours per week to 24/7 in-home assistance.
Best for: Individuals who want independence but need ongoing support with daily living skills, health management, community access, or social connection.
The reality: SLS gives your loved one genuine choice — where they live, who they live with, what their day looks like. The challenge is finding the right support provider and, in many cases, a compatible roommate.
4. Life-Sharing (Within SLS)
Life-sharing is a specific model within Supported Living Services where your loved one is matched with a supportive roommate who lives with them. The roommate provides daily support — not as a paid shift worker, but as someone who shares the home, the meals, the routines, and the life.
Best for: Adults with IDD who want community living, genuine friendship, and consistent 1:1 support from one person they actually chose.
The reality: Life-sharing offers something the other models struggle to provide — a real relationship at the center of the support. Your loved one is not a client in a facility. They are a roommate in a shared home. Learn more about how life-sharing works.
How to Request Housing Support Through Your Service Coordinator
Every person who receives Regional Center services is assigned a service coordinator (SC). This is your primary point of contact, and they are the person who activates services on your loved one's behalf. Here is the process for getting housing support into your plan.
Step 1: Request an IPP Meeting
The Individual Program Plan (IPP) is the roadmap for all Regional Center services. It outlines your loved one's goals, identifies needed supports, and authorizes specific services and vendors. IPP meetings happen at least once per year, but you can request one at any time.
Call your service coordinator and say: "We want to discuss housing goals at our next IPP meeting. We are interested in exploring Supported Living Services."
Step 2: Identify Housing as a Goal
During the IPP meeting, make housing a formal goal. Be specific about what your loved one wants: Do they want to live in an apartment? Do they want a roommate? What neighborhood or city? What level of support do they need?
The more specific you are, the stronger your plan becomes. "Jordan wants to live in a two-bedroom apartment in San Diego with a compatible roommate and daily support for meal preparation, medication management, and community access" is a goal Regional Center can act on. "Jordan wants to live independently" is harder to fund.
Step 3: Request SLS Authorization
Once housing is in the IPP as a goal, ask your service coordinator to authorize Supported Living Services. This means Regional Center will fund an approved SLS vendor to provide the support your loved one needs in their home.
Your service coordinator will help identify vendors in your area. If you are interested in life-sharing specifically, ask them about Homies. We serve families across Southern California and work directly with Regional Centers including San Diego Regional Center, Regional Center of Orange County, and Inland Regional Center, among others.
Step 4: Choose a Vendor and Begin the Process
You have the right to choose your SLS vendor. Regional Center provides a list of approved vendors, but the final decision belongs to your family. Meet with vendors, ask questions, visit homes if possible, and make sure the fit is right.
With Homies, the process starts with a conversation. We learn about your loved one — their personality, interests, daily routines, and what they are looking for in a roommate. Then we match them with someone compatible. Not just someone available. Someone who is actually a good fit. See how our matching process works.
Why Life-Sharing Is Worth Knowing About
Families often come to us after years on group home waitlists. They have been told their options are limited, that nothing is available, that they need to wait. And in many cases, they were never told that life-sharing existed at all.
Life-sharing through SLS is not a lesser option. It is a different philosophy: your loved one lives in a real home, with a real roommate, making real choices about their own life. Regional Center funds the support services, and the individual keeps their autonomy.
For families navigating this for the first time, life-sharing often checks boxes that other models cannot:
No waitlist — Homies is actively matching right now
1:1 consistent support — one roommate, not rotating staff
Real community integration — your loved one lives in a regular apartment in a regular neighborhood
Genuine companionship — the roommate relationship goes beyond caregiving
Individual choice — your loved one picks where they live and who they live with
If your loved one is a Regional Center client exploring housing options, or if you are a service coordinator looking for SLS vendors who deliver on the promise of community living, we should talk.
Next Steps
The Regional Center system is built to support your loved one's housing goals. The key is knowing what to ask for and who to ask. Start with your service coordinator, put housing in the IPP, request SLS authorization, and explore your vendor options.
If you want to learn whether life-sharing through Homies could be the right fit, schedule a call with our team. We will walk through your situation, answer your questions, and — if it makes sense — start the matching process. No waitlist. No pressure. Just a conversation about what is possible.