Just a few decades ago, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDDs) faced a binary choice when it came to housing. They either lived with family members or spent their days and nights in institutions.
Thankfully, federal and state governments have acknowledged that disabled individuals have a spectrum of needs—and goals—with their living arrangements. California’s Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has helped build up an array of housing options to help people with IDDs live as independently as they wish.
Zeroing in on the right option for you or your loved one is no small task, though. We put together this guide on housing for adults with intellectual disabilities to help you identify the right housing arrangement and support.
If you Google “housing options for adults with IDDs” or something similar, you’ll come across what seems like dozens of choices, each with its own technical term or abbreviation (talk about alphabet soup). To make things easier, you can place your housing options in one of four baskets:
With this arrangement, you or your loved one can live on their own or with roommates in an apartment or house. On the surface, it looks like independent living—you’re not staying at your parents’ or grandparents’ house.
You’re not left to your own devices, either. Through the Regional Center or other public programs, you can still have helpers come to your residence and assist with various tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, financial management, and transportation to community outings.
An FHA, sometimes called an adult foster home, is a specialized home with up to two adults with an intellectual or developmental disability. The family goes through a certification process with their local Regional Center and hires their own staff to maintain standards of living and care.
The principle behind FHAs is that a supportive home environment, along with heads of household who are sensitive to the needs of the disabled community, can foster independence for adults with disabilities. Support staff can still come and help with various tasks, but FHA residents do not have dedicated medical professionals living with them.
If you or your loved one needs around-the-clock support from people who aren’t necessarily medical professionals, a group home may be the perfect arrangement. Group home residents typically need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). The state offers several tiers of CCFs for Regional Center customers, ranging from Level 2 (residents have some self-care skills) to Level 6 (residents have “deficits in self-help skills, and/or severe impairment in physical coordination and mobility, and/or severely disruptive or self-injurious behavior”).
Like group homes, ICFs offer 24/7 support for residents. Another similarity is that each ICF has fewer than six residents with an IDD living there.
The difference is that ICFs provide medical professionals on staff. These professionals might include nurses, doctors, or occupational therapists. ICF residents can also receive non-medical services through the Regional Center.
Knowing your housing options is one thing, but accessing them—and paying for housing—is another. Below are some links and resources to help you get the ball rolling.
Many disabled adults find it challenging to unlock revenue streams. While Regional Centers (and, by extension, the SDP) do not directly contribute to rent or mortgage payments, a number of other social programs might, including:
Housing for adults with intellectual disabilities might be managed by the Department of Social Services, Department of Developmental Services, or the Department of Health Care Services. You don’t necessarily need to know the ins and outs of each agency; these organizations may prove helpful in your search:
You can find other location-specific organizations on the California DDS website.
Being able to choose where you live, who you live with, and how you spend your days is a cornerstone of personal dignity. While the SDP won’t directly pay for housing, it can pay for services that fill in the gaps so you or your loved one can live life to the fullest.
NeuroNav offers independent facilitation services for both potential enrollees and current SDP participants. We’ll advocate for your needs and ensure your person-centered plan stays at the center of every decision. If you’re interested, please schedule a consultation at your convenience; we’d be honored to speak with you!