SAN DIEGO—Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP) today announced the launch of the Independent Living Association (ILA) online directory.
This groundbreaking new community resource will help connect San Diegans with quality Independent Living housing options. Stable and supportive housing is one of the most effective ways to encourage recovery and reduce inappropriate use of the healthcare system.
Independent Livings are privately-owned homes which provide housing for adults with mental illness and others who may benefit from the fellowship of a shared housing environment. The state of housing options for persons living with mental illness in San Diego County has been identified as a gap by consumers, family members and mental health providers. And until now, there has been no accurate count or listing of Independent Livings or a means for the community to identify resources to help them find quality housing options.
“The most common types of calls we receive come from people seeking information on housing,” states Brandi Marcoe, MSW, Family & Peer Support Helpline Program Manager at the National Alliance of Mental Illness, San Diego. “Before the ILA online directory was available, there was no way of knowing even simple information about Independent Livings without calling around. The ILA Directory is a user-friendly community tool.”
The ILA Directory lists over 270 Independent Livings in San Diego County, including pictures, pricing and amenities for Independent Livings that follow a comprehensive set of quality standards. The ILA Directory is a way for Independent Living owners to showcase their homes, and is a resource for the community, consumers, family members and healthcare professionals to identify appropriate and quality housing options.
The ILA follows a model similar to the Better Business Bureau through promoting high quality Independent Livings and offering tools and resources to encourage Independent Livings to meet ILA Quality Standards. This ground-breaking project is the first of its kind to organize and promote Independent Livings, and is designed as a model for other communities across the nation.
