Beyond the Group Home: Special Needs Housing Options

Fifty years ago, most people with even moderate special needs were institutionalized throughout their adult lives. Now, thanks in part to societal changes and decades of litigation, most people with special needs live in some type of community setting. The U.S. Supreme Court has specifically ruled that people with special needs who receive government benefits must be housed in the least restrictive possible setting.

Living With Parents or Other Family Members

Many adults with special needs, especially young adults, may live with their parents or other family members. People with special needs who live with their parents don’t have to experience the sometimes stressful transition into a different type of housing when they become adults. In many cases, Medicaid funds can be used to pay family members who provide care for their children in their own homes.

However, as parents age, it may become impossible for them to care for their child anymore, and the transition from a lifelong residence could be more traumatic for the child than if they had moved out when they were younger.

Section 8 Housing

The Section 8 program provides vouchers for people with low incomes to obtain housing in the community. In general, a Section 8 recipient has to pay approximately one-third of their monthly income toward rent, and the voucher pays for the rest. Many people with special needs who receive SSI or SSDI benefits will likely qualify for Section 8 as well.

Section 8 vouchers can allow people with mild or moderate special needs and low incomes to live on their own in the community. However, it usually takes years to obtain a Section 8 voucher and, once acquired, there may not be any available Section 8 units in the individual’s community.

Group Home / Supportive Housing

Many people with special needs choose to live in supportive group homes with several other people with special needs. Depending on the program, these homes could be staffed with counselors and other workers who help the residents live on their own. Group homes are great options for people with special needs who don’t require more advanced care but who cannot live independently.

Intentional Communities / Farmstead Programs

A growing and increasingly popular option is the intentional community, often modeled as a working farmstead. Examples like Peacehaven Farm in Whitsett, North Carolina or the Camphill Village model offer a unique alternative to traditional group homes. In these settings, adults with special needs live alongside staff, volunteers, and sometimes neurotypical families in a shared, village-style environment.

Residents typically engage in meaningful daily work, such as organic farming, animal care, weaving, or pottery, which provides a strong sense of purpose and contribution. However, these communities face long waitlists and can sometimes be located in rural areas away from the broader community.

Assisted Living Facilities

Some people with special needs, especially older individuals, live in assisted living facilities. In general, assisted living facilities house residents in their own apartments within a building or complex. Residents can cook in their units or eat in a communal dining hall, and they receive nonskilled care including assistance with bathing, cleaning, and sometimes administration of medicine.

Skilled Nursing Facilities

If a person with special needs requires around-the-clock skilled medical care, they may need to live in a skilled nursing facility. Although nursing homes are the last resort for most families, in some cases they can be the most appropriate option for a person with severe special needs. Skilled nursing facilities are incredibly expensive, often costing more than $10,000 a month, though individuals with severe special needs and minimal assets may qualify for Medicaid coverage.