Home sharing is a residential option in which an adult with a developmental disability shares a home with someone who is contracted to provide ongoing support. Home sharing may be offered by community-based agencies or directly by CLBC. Homes may be owned or rented by the home sharing provider or by the individual requiring support. In some situations, the home sharing provider’s family lives in the home. In others, people live together as roommates in a reciprocal relationship.
In most situations, home sharing involves very close relationships. The individuals within the home share not only their physical space, but also their lives. The members of the home spend a lot of time together and are actively involved in one another’s daily activities. In other situations, the home sharing arrangement is characterized by more independent relationships. Members of the home generally go their own ways and come together at specific times or for specific purposes.
Individuals tend to choose home sharing because it provides an ideal balance of support and independence. It is entirely person-centred in that it allows individuals to select a home sharing provider and home environment that meet their unique goals and preferences. Support is flexible and evolves according to the individuals’ changing needs. For some, home sharing is a stepping stone to even greater independence. For others, it is an arrangement that will last for many years.
Our agency’s role is to recruit home share providers and to match providers with interested individuals. Our staff will provide ongoing support by helping with transitioning into a home, regular monitoring and mediating as needed. Individuals placed in a home share setting will be paying rent according to their PWD shelter amount and home share providers will be receiving additional compensation for providing supports.
To talk with a CLBC facilitator about support you or a family member may be eligible for, please contact your local CLBC office at:
CLBC Terrace 250-638-3600
4741 Park Avenue, Terrace, BC Canada
Contact our Community Living Contracts Manager for more details at 250-626-7977 or by email clcm@hgscp.ca