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One of the Autism Society’s top advocacy goals is to confront housing insecurity among autism families. We can accomplish this goal by collaborating with for-profit and nonprofit cohousing developers, organizations, and stakeholders to help them design, entitle and build pilot housing projects, seek government funding and advocate for housing policies that incentivize, accelerate, and provide funding for autism housing and high-support needs autism housing across the San Diego region.
Introduction
Navigating the world of housing for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in California can be overwhelming. Recognizing the critical importance of safe, supportive, and empowering housing, the Autism Society San Diego has created this comprehensive guide to illuminate the available options.
This guide explores a spectrum of residential models—from group homes to intentional communities—providing descriptions of financial assistance programs and highlights innovative local solutions. Wherever you are on your journey, we hope this resource empowers you with the knowledge to make informed choices that support independence, dignity, and quality of life.
1. Understanding Residential Housing Models
Group Homes (Community Care Facilities)
Group Homes, officially called Community Care Facilities (CCFs), offer a structured environment where adults with developmental disabilities live together in licensed residences staffed by trained professionals. These homes provide 24/7 non-medical support, including help with daily living tasks, medication reminders, community activities, and health management.
Group Homes are widespread throughout California, including urban centers like San Diego, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. They offer structured routines that can be particularly beneficial for individuals who thrive with consistency and predictability.
🔗 Learn more from the California Department of Developmental Services.
Supported Living Services (SLS)
For adults seeking more independence, Supported Living Services (SLS) offer an appealing alternative. SLS enables individuals to live in their own home or apartment with flexible, customized support based on their personal needs. Services may include assistance with budgeting, meal preparation, personal care, and community integration, designed to evolve over time as needs change.
This model promotes autonomy, choice, and community inclusion, and is available statewide through California’s Regional Centers.
🔗 Explore Supported Living through Easterseals Southern California.
Intentional Communities
Intentional communities are thoughtfully designed neighborhoods where individuals with and without disabilities live together, fostering natural friendships, inclusion, and community life. These communities often feature private residences along with shared amenities such as recreation centers, gardens, and vocational programs.
A notable example is Sweetwater Spectrum in Sonoma, offering a residential campus specifically for autistic adults focused on wellness, independence, and meaningful engagement.
Neurodiverse Cohousing
Neurodiverse cohousing communities are emerging as a progressive model where individuals with varying cognitive profiles co-create and share living spaces. These models emphasize collaboration, mutual support, and participatory governance, often featuring communal decision-making and shared resources.
Early-stage projects in California are inspired by organizations like the Madison House Autism Foundation, promoting self-determination and belonging.
Specialized Residential Homes
Tailored for individuals with intensive support needs—whether medical, behavioral, or sensory—specialized residential homes offer highly individualized care plans. These homes feature trained staff, therapeutic supports, and often smaller settings to meet complex requirements.
Organizations like California MENTOR operate these homes, blending clinical expertise with a nurturing, person-centered approach.
Private Pay Housing Options
Families seeking premium services often consider private-pay housing, which offers enhanced amenities, high staffing ratios, and individualized lifestyle planning. Noah Homes in Spring Valley is a standout example, offering 10 beautiful homes on an 11-acre campus, built around community life and lifelong support.
These options are privately funded and may have waiting lists or require early planning.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
An increasingly popular solution for families wanting proximity without cohabitation, ADUs—often called “granny flats”—are secondary units built on family-owned property. They offer privacy and independence for the autistic or IDD adult while ensuring family support remains close at hand.
Local regulations on ADUs vary, but many cities like San Diego and Los Angeles have embraced more flexible permitting rules to encourage this option.
🔗 Learn more about ADUs for disability housing.
Farm-Based Residential Programs
Inspired by therapeutic farming models such as Bittersweet Farms, these programs combine residential living with agricultural work and outdoor engagement. Residents contribute meaningfully to the community by growing food, tending to animals, and participating in structured daily routines.
These environments are ideal for individuals who thrive with physical work, connection to nature, and a strong sense of purpose.
Assisted Living Facilities
While traditionally geared toward seniors, some Assisted Living Facilities now accommodate adults with developmental disabilities who require help with daily living activities and medical oversight. These facilities offer private or shared rooms, meal services, medication management, and access to nursing care.
Choosing a facility that understands and welcomes neurodiverse residents is key.
🔗 More information at Special Needs Answers.
Customized Housing Solutions
When traditional models don’t meet an individual’s needs, families can collaborate with specialized agencies like Special Needs Properties to create custom housing solutions. These might include co-owned properties, home modifications, or private small group living tailored to personal preferences and support needs.
2. Family-Based Living Arrangements
Family remains a vital support system for many adults with autism or IDD. Two primary models exist within family-based care:
Living with Family: Many adults continue to live at home, receiving day-to-day care from parents or relatives. Regional Centers provide supplementary services like respite care, therapies, and in-home support.
Adult Foster Care/Family Home Agencies (FHA):
Certified family homes offer a “second family” experience, hosting an adult with IDD in a supportive, nurturing environment, coordinated through Regional Centers and monitored for quality.
3. Licensed Residential Facilities
Community Care Facilities (CCFs):
These homes offer 24/7 support in licensed settings and are ideal for adults needing moderate to high supervision and structure.
Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs):
For adults with intensive medical or behavioral needs, ICFs provide clinical oversight, nursing services, and therapeutic interventions within a residential environment.
4. Supported and Independent Living Options
Supported Living Services (SLS):
Encourage autonomy with flexible, scalable supports delivered in the individual's own home.
Independent Living Services (ILS):
Designed for those capable of living independently but benefiting from skill-building in areas such as budgeting, public transportation, or cooking.
5. Innovative and Intentional Communities in Action
Sweetwater Spectrum (Sonoma) offers independent living for autistic adults on a beautiful, intentionally designed campus.
The Kelsey (San Francisco & San José) builds inclusive housing developments that promote integration and affordability.
Glennwood Housing Foundation (Laguna Beach) fosters community living while promoting independence for adults with developmental disabilities.
6. Affordable Housing Initiatives
Two major pathways:
7. Regional Centers and Planning
California’s 21 Regional Centers play a pivotal role in accessing services, housing supports, and funding, via the Individual Program Plan (IPP) process.
🔗 Find your Regional Center.
8. Planning and Advocacy
Start early. Connect with transition programs, advocacy groups like State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) and Disability Rights California. Planning ahead increases access to the best housing solutions.
9. Local Housing Providers in San Diego County
Options include:
…and more! Contact providers directly to discuss eligibility, programs, and openings.
10. Financial Resources and Grants
Families should explore options like:
Private grants, such as from Autism Care Today and Autism Speaks, can provide critical supplemental funding.
11. Private Pay Providers
Specialized private pay options include:
Each offers varying levels of support, independence, and community engagement.
12. Financing Development: Building Communities
Options for organizations and families considering building intentional housing include:
Alternative options like community land trusts and cooperative models are growing in popularity.
13. Case Study: Big Wave Project
The Big Wave Project in Half Moon Bay demonstrates how innovative financing, community partnerships, and shared vision can create lifelong housing for individuals with IDD.
14. Partnerships with REITs and Foundations
Potential partners include:
…and many others supporting IDD housing initiatives.
15. Conclusion
The path to finding or creating the right housing for adults with autism and IDD is not easy, but it is achievable with information, planning, creativity, and partnership. The Autism Society San Diego is committed to helping every family find the housing solution that empowers their loved one to thrive.
The Autism Society San Diego has plans to expand its services to our San Diego autism families by building or acquiring/renovating a new Spectrum Community Center building. Ideally, this facility could be 20 to 30,000-square-foot and designed to provide comprehensive support services, recreational activities, educational opportunities and potentially a select group of autism startups, entrepreneurs & businesses that directly benefit our mission & community.
Once completed, it will include a wide range of specialized programs and resources, offering a welcoming environment where individuals on the autism spectrum and their families can access the support they need.
Spectrum intends to provide clinic and community-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for individuals of all ages at the new center. As part of its mission to offer compassionate, evidence-based care, the new facility will feature “adult clinic spaces” to accommodate expanded services, now made possible through additional funding from various insurance plans.
The Spectrum Community Center will host a variety of classes to help individuals build and strengthen social relationships, covering topics such as dating, internet safety, and emotional regulation. Social events like dances, mini-concerts, game nights, and BBQs will be organized at the center and within the local community, providing opportunities for participants to practice and develop these essential skills.
Plans for the new center include modeled spaces, such as a doctor’s office, salon room, and dentist office, to help individuals become comfortable with accessing community services. The facility will serve as a training ground, offering courses on navigating insurance, medication management, religious inclusion, and more, making it a resource hub for anyone interested in autism-specific learning and training.
Spectrum will offer a wide array of activities aimed at helping individuals discover and pursue interests that bring joy and fulfillment. The center will provide opportunities for exploring community theater, yoga, gaming, gardening, dance, automotive care, pet care, and other hobbies and sports, creating a space for personal growth and enjoyment.
The new Spectrum Community Center will aim to enhance independence and self-sufficiency for those on the autism spectrum. The facility will offer structured classes on budgeting, cooking, hygiene, safety skills, meal preparation, transportation, and home management, along with additional individualized support to help participants implement these skills in their daily lives.
The Spectrum Community Center will promote a healthy lifestyle through courses on mental health, physical fitness, nutrition, hygiene, and medication management. The goal will be to provide lifelong support in a safe and understanding environment, reducing long-term care needs while enhancing the overall well-being of participants.
To support the development of crucial executive functioning skills, Spectrum plans to offer courses focused on time management, organization, problem-solving, self-regulation, impulse control, and flexible thinking. These programs will help individuals build the foundational skills necessary for lifelong success and happiness.
The future center will feature courses on effective communication strategies, including conflict resolution, self-advocacy, written communication, and emotional expression. Spectrum aims to support individuals in improving their ability to communicate, both verbally and through assistive technologies, fostering stronger relationships with family, friends, and the community.
As part of its commitment to empowering individuals through meaningful employment, the new Spectrum Community Center will offer pre-vocational and vocational training programs. These programs will provide a safe environment to build job skills and explore potential career paths, preparing individuals for long-term success in the workforce.
The center’s future plans also include creating a variety of employment and internship opportunities in fields such as Psychology, Healthcare Administration, Applied Behavior Analysis, Speech & Language Pathology, Child Development, Business, Marketing, Social Work, and more. Spectrum will focus on building an inclusive environment that nurtures growth and learning for all involved.
With these ambitious plans, the Spectrum Community Center will serve as a comprehensive resource for support, training, and education, impacting the San Diego community and beyond. For more information about the future Spectrum Community Center, please contact us.