This resource and survey are only available in Santa Clara County. The survey is for documentation purposes only, and no direct services will be provided based on responses.

What is an Independent Living Home (ILH)?

According to *Community Health Improvement Partners: 

An independent living is a privately-owned or operated home or complex that provides shared housing for adults with disabilities, including mental illness, and others who may benefit from a shared living environment. Tenants in independent livings are able to live independently, are often on a fixed income, and do not need supervision or care from their landlord.

In Santa Clara County and other jurisdictions, ILHs are used by service providers – mainly behavioral health and other health agencies and some homeless providers – to house their clients. Common characteristics of ILHs include:  

• They are group housing arrangements in residential neighborhoods.   
• There is no governmental oversight of unlicensed ILHs as there is for licensed board and cares, which are overseen by California Community Care Licensing.   
• ILH operators may operate as landlords although they may not own the property.   
• Residents frequently include a mix of low-income people with behavioral health and other disabilities. Some can live independently. Others need, at least temporarily, higher levels of care such as can be provided by adult residential or other care facilities.  

Why It's Important to Identify ILHs

It’s important to know where ILHs operate as too many of them are managed by unscrupulous operators. Some ILHs are managed by caring operators. The community, including service providers, neighbors, and advocates, can help identify the ILHs where residents suffer due to unsafe and unhealthy living conditions and/or ill treatment by operators and staff, such as house managers. Disability Rights CA (DRC) is working with Community Living Coalition and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness, Santa Clara County) to identify unsafe ILH’s, provide resources to improve these homes and promote oversight to prevent abuse or neglect. If you see homes that have the characteristics below, please complete the survey and/or call the number below for documentation.

How to identify ILHs that may need attention: These are most commonly large houses. In the downtown area of San Jose, several Victorian houses are ILHs because they have many rooms that can be rented.  When identifying an ILH, look out for potential indicators such as:  

• High levels of foot traffic. Visits by police and other emergency providers are common. Residents may not be well supported and experience health crises.    
• Common visible cues such as:   
  • Mattresses and/or large appliances left outside   
  • Clothes, personal belongings strewn on the lawn, sidewalk, or street gutter   
  • Fences surrounding the house and front yard that don’t seem to allow access   
  • No trespassing signs and cameras   
  • Broken windows and/or steps, trash, peeling paint, and other obvious blight   
  • Frequent foot traffic and people sitting outside, some smoking   

If you encounter a home that has two or three of the issues above, you can: 

1. Call the NAMI Santa Clara County (NAMI-SCC) Helpline at 408-453-0400, option #1 OR
2. Complete the online form provided below.

The NAMI-SCC Helpline is a free peer-support service providing information and resource referrals to people living with mental health conditions, and their family members, caregivers, mental health providers, and the public. NAMI staff answer questions, offer support and provide practical next steps from their own personal experience. NAMI does not offer professional mental health services or therapy and their programs are not a substitute for treatment by a psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional.

*Community Health Improvement Partners operates Independent Living Associations (ILA) in Fresno and San Diego counties. To become a member of the ILA, ILHs need to meet high level quality standards.  For more information see the  Independent Living Association California website.

Survey on Independent Living Home (ILH) Concerns 

The purpose of the survey is for documentation, and no direct services will be provided regarding any responses.   

If you find yourself living in an environment that you feel poses a risk to your health and safety, please contact Project Sentinel at 888-324-7468. Project Sentinel is a nonprofit agency that deals with housing issues including tenant-landlord counseling, mediation, dispute resolution, and investigation and enforcement of housing discrimination complaints.