What is Supported Living?

The California Community Living Network believes that anyone can and has the right to live in the community of their choosing regardless of the amount of support needed.  We advocate for inclusive Community Living options.  These options are often labeled as either Supported Living or Independent Living Services.  CCLN believes that Community Living services should be based on a set of principles that give direction to the providing agency and communicate the expected outcomes of the service.  While these principles were originally outlined in Supported Living regulations, CCLN believes they truly apply to all inclusive community living options.

The 5 Principles of Community  Living are:

• A Home of One’s Own
• Choice and Self-Direction
• Relationships
• Community Membership
• Flexible, Tailored Services and Supports

The defining differences between SLS (Supported Living Services) and ILS (Independent Living Services) are usually the service code used to purchase the service, the vendoring Regional Center’s definition and practices, and the number of hours of support.  For example, a person needing close to 24/7 support would most likely receive SLS services whereas a person receiving 35 hours of support per month would most likely receive ILS services.

This diagram gives a quick overview of what Supported Living is, and what it is not: