#1 Partner for Lifelong IDD Support

What Every Family Asks About Shared Living

What families really want to know about shared living—and what it can truly offer.

“Is this the right move?”

That’s the question we hear most often—from parents on long waitlists, from siblings stepping into a caregiving role, from individuals trying to make sense of a system that’s always been hard to navigate.

It’s a fair question. It might even be the only one that matters.

When a family begins exploring shared living, they’re not just choosing a housing model. They’re asking whether their loved one will be safe. Known. Happy. It’s not about square footage or floor plans—it’s about the people inside, and whether that space can become a home.

More Than a Roof

If you’ve never heard of shared living, you’re not alone. For many, it sounds like a soft rebrand of the old group home system or maybe just a fancy term for roommates. But shared living, when done right, is something else entirely.

At its best, it’s deeply personal. It’s an individual with intellectual or developmental disabilities moving in with a host—someone who opens not just their house, but their daily life. Meals are shared. Holidays are celebrated. Birthdays are remembered. Over time, something quiet and remarkable happens: the lines between support and relationship begin to blur.

About Author

Nicole Kanaman, Ph.D., BCBA, has worked in the field of IDD support services since 2012. After building a background in behavioral psychology and clinical work, she and her husband opened their home to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 2017. Becoming a Shared Living provider gave Nicole firsthand experience supporting individuals around the clock and a new perspective on the gaps families can face when seeking the right support. That experience became the foundation for Alora Supports, where her professional expertise and firsthand understanding of the work came together.

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