San Diego’s Independent Living Facilities
San Diego has one of the largest homeless populations in the country, with over 10,605 individuals experiencing homelessness, and 60% of those individuals living on the street. However, thousands of individuals in San Diego are dedicated to combating this, and contribute to an immense amount of homeless oriented resources. Previously, Stronger Than The Streets has looked at transitional housing units, Single-Room Occupancy hotels, and now, Independent Living Facilites. In this blog, we will go over the basics of Independent Living Facilities, and outline how to access them.
Example ILF
What is an I.L.F.?
An Independent Living Facility is a privately owned piece of property that provides limited housing to individuals facing mental illness, disabilities, or homelessness. What separates this type of living from say Single Room Occupancy Hotels is that the tenants live completely independently, meaning that the tenants do not need supervision or care from their landlord.
San Diego’s Independent Living Facility inventory is operated by the Independent Living Association of San Diego County, which was created by the Community Health Improvement Partners to provide, “objective, unbiased information about independent livings in San Diego County.”
The Independent Living Association of San Diego County works with the Owners of the privately owned I.L.F’s to ensure satisfaction with both the Tenants and the Owners. To ensure this, the Independent Living Association of San Diego County runs a Peer Review & Accountability Team where they go to each I.L.F annually to check up on the property. This allows for Tenants and Owners alike to file complaints, and ensures that the properties remain livable.
How can I find one?
Finding an I.L.F is made easy through the Independent Living Association of San Diego Counties website, where they have developed their own search engine. Simply go to https://ilacalifornia.org/san-diego-county, hit Search Homes, specify your preferences including size, location, and budget, and see all of the available properties.
With a resource as well managed and important as Independent Living Facilities, this will be the newest addition to the Crossroadssd website, allowing for more individuals experiencing homelessness to access this incredible resource in hope that their living situation can improve.