Is Shared Living Right for Me?
The most important quality in a shared living provider is the desire to open their home to a person with a developmental disability or autism, and help that person create a meaningful and connected life.
Shared living providers must be able to provide a stable living situation (home, condo, or apartment), a private bedroom, and access to common areas. It is helpful if shared living providers have a flexible schedule which allows them to support a consumer’s individual needs. This can include getting to appointments, work, day programs, community engagements and involvement with friends and family. Additionally, shared living providers make their home the consumer’s home too, for as long as necessary, often three to five years or longer.
We’ve found that there are six groups of people who tend to be especially interested in becoming shared living providers:
Parents of adult children with disabilities: Did you know that parents can be paid to provide support and housing for their adult children?
Retirement age couples: Maybe you’ve retired but your spouse is still working. You’ve got an empty nest, extra time, and an open heart.
Stay at home parents: It is difficult for many families to survive on a single income. Capitalize on the flexibility of stay-at-home parenting while providing a valuable second income.
Young couples: Maybe you are not ready for children, but you are driven to help others. Shared living can fill that desire while providing financial support.
Adoptive parents: After adoption, many former foster parents want to continue helping others. Shared living capitalizes on the skills learned while foster parenting.
Human service professionals: Are you looking for a change of pace, but still want to make a difference? Consider becoming a shared living provider.
If you think shared living could be right for you, and are interested in earning a generous tax-free stipend of nearly $45,000 plus reimbursement for room and board, contact us. We are here to answer all your shared living questions.
