Living Options
If you, your adult child, sibling, student or friend with a disability dreams of living away from home and you want to find a safe environment and ensure the same quality of life that he or she has living in their family home, the following questions may cross your mind:

• Where will he or she live?
• What public and private residential opportunities are available?
• With whom will he or she live?
• Who will support my adult child, sibling, student or friend with disabilities?
• What skills are needed to successfully live away from home?
• How will he or she learn these skills or obtain the needed supports?
• When do I start thinking about moving my son, daughter, brother, or sister with disabilities out of the bedroom? How will they know they are ready?
• What public funds are available to enable individuals with disabilities to make their own housing and support service choices?

Unfortunately, there are not many public housing options in the state of Illinois for people with disabilities. The public options that are available are not always in your community of choice and/or they do not always provide the quality of life you may desire for your adult child, sibling, student or friend with disabilities. But that doesn’t mean that you’re without options. Consider:

• Community Living Option (CLO) Family Partnership
• Community Living Option (CLO) Residences
• Independent Living Readiness Inventory
• Independent Living Skills Curriculum
• New Futures Initiative