South Bend—Each night around six o’clock, as the dinner hour approaches and bellies demand attention, Rich Shafer’s South Bend household is in rhythm with millions across the country. On his night to cook, Shafer, 42, can be found moving through the kitchen, shuffling dishes from cabinet to table in preparation for dinner with his two roommates.

For five years, Shafer, Tony Breden, and Rick Manley have shared the household duties of their three-bedroom home, nestled in the River Bend area of town. Because each of the roommates has a developmental disability that requires additional support for certain daily-living activities, the space within the home is also shared throughout the day with paid support personnel who assist them.

For Hoosiers who choose to share households with two or more persons, locating a home with sufficient space can be the first challenge when deciding to have housemates. “A shortage of acceptable housing in our area for individuals with disabilities—homes with three or more bedrooms and within reach of public transportation—is an issue,” said Darcy Craft, a case manager with Indiana Professional Management Group (IPMG) who works with Shafer. “It can take time to find the right place.”

Craft is one of more than 430 IPMG case management professionals who advocate for Indiana residents receiving an Autism, Developmental Disabilities, or Support Services Waiver from Indiana’s Medicaid waiver program. Currently, IPMG professionals provide person-centered case management services to more than 12,700 individuals statewide who receive waivers.

The waivers are designed to support individuals with developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, autism, and intellectual disabilities; provide the opportunity to live in a community setting; and assist with meeting their needs and moving their hopes and dreams forward. Some waiver recipients find living with housemates is their preferred choice to living alone for a number of reasons, including companionship and shared expenses.

“The waiver ensures that Rich, Tony, and Rick have more in their lives than just a place to live. Their waivers provide funding they can use to support their personal needs and goals,” explained Craft. “And by sharing support services within the home, the fiscal efficiency and utilization of each of their waivers increases.”

“It’s a privilege to have enough finances to get the supports my son needs, and to get to do things in the community,” said Nancy Shafer, Rich’s mother. “The waiver has been a good thing.”

For those who decide having housemates is best for them, the benefits of the living arrangement go beyond financial. Roommates offer interaction and friendship, as well as a division of the chores and responsibilities that come with running a home, such as cooking and cleaning.

“While the waiver provides support personnel to assist with daily needs, Rich, Rick, and Tony each share in the duties of the house, with the assistance of their staff,” said Craft.

In addition to individual support staff provided by their waivers, the roommates utilize the assistance of a house manager to deal with the collective details, such as working out a monthly menu, determining whose night it is to cook, and resolving conflicts that may arise.

“These guys get along great; there is very little friction,” said Derek Ressler, Manley’s IPMG Case Manager. “One reason for the success of their home has been having consistent support staffing.”

Through their waivers, the roommates selected Logan Services of South Bend to assist within the home. Logan’s personnel work collaboratively with the roommates, their families, and their IPMG Case Managers to help the house run smoothly. Through this collaborative effort, each of the roommates receives the support he needs, while maintaining their own private lives.

“As their case managers, our goal is to work with their entire team of support to ensure the waiver is used to meet their needs and move their goals forward,” said Ressler. “Having support staff, advocates, and a community that supports them helps make the living arrangement successful.”

Within their home, the roommates work with their support staff to outline their interests, including work, social, medical, food, and other personal and shared items. Each roommate takes turns cleaning, and is responsible for his own room. “It’s important they have their own space and privacy, and the ability to choose what they do with their days,” said Craft. “That’s a big key to a successful housemate situation.”

Having personal space and the freedom to choose what they do with their life, along with a built-in support system of friends, are some of the many benefits Shafer, Breden, and Manley have experienced since selecting a shared housing arrangement. For 40-year-old Breden and 55-year-old Manley, who both previously lived in group home settings, having their own home with housemates enables doors to open that previously were unavailable to them.

“Making choices and decisions about their own lives—from what they do each day to where they go and what they eat—is huge,” said Nancy Shafer. “I think the fact that they were such a good match has definitely contributed.”

Prior to becoming roommates, Shafer, Breden, and Manley worked with their IPMG Case Managers and personal advocates to evaluate each of their interests and needs to ensure they were compatible housemates.

Things important to each individual, such as support needs, food interests, belief systems, personal space requirements, budgetary concerns, and household conditions, were all considerations. As a person who is non-verbal, Shafer and his advocates worked to ensure Breden and Manley could adapt to Shafer’s utilization of a variety of tools and gestures to communicate—another key tool to successfully selecting housemates.

“Communication before—and after—selecting housemates is very important,” said Ressler. “Also, clearly understanding what is important to and important for each person, and what they consider acceptable. And be upfront at the start.”

Other items individuals may wish to consider when selecting housemates include scheduling of work and social activities, as well as finding common interests in the community, which increases involvement in the community and decreases overall costs for entertainment. “While they all have similar interests in food and music, they would get along just as well if they didn’t, because they respect each other and have the con¬sistent support they need,” said Nancy Shafer. “They have become more than just roommates in the past five years; they’ve become a family, and it’s wonderful.”