The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction has received the final report from the external review of Community Living BC’s (CLBC) home-sharing program.

Home sharing is a CLBC-funded service in which an adult with a developmental disability lives with a person, couple or family who is contracted through an agency to provide support. These supports include help with daily living, social connection and community inclusion. The goal of home sharing is to offer personalized, flexible support that helps adults with developmental disabilities achieve greater independence in a caring, secure and inclusive home setting.

The external review report was commissioned by Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, in June 2025.

Approach

The review was conducted by Tamar Consultancy with information gathered from multiple sources, including:

• an independent advisory committee with representation from:
  • self-advocates
  • families
  • home-sharing providers
  • community representatives
• research, stakeholder engagement and analysis of practices in other jurisdictions
• public input through an email submission line 
• targeted interviews
• CLBC staff and its leadership

It also examined internal and external documents and researched practices in other jurisdictions.

Recommendations

The review finds that B.C. is recognized as a leader in home sharing, and when done well, it is highly valued by individuals and families. The review also found that Community Living BC’s home-sharing standards align with best practices internationally.

The report includes 29 recommendations under five key areas for improvement to strengthen safety, quality of life, and sustainability:

1. Standards, Safety and Quality of Life, Monitoring and Oversight (10 recommendations)
2. Individual Planning, Co-ordination and Review (eight recommendations)
3. Key Roles, Qualifications, Training and Supervision (five recommendations)
4. Community Living Options (three recommendations)
5. Broader Structural Issues (three recommendations)

Next Steps

The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and CLBC will work with partners to implement changes that enhance safety, support choice and maintain accountability.

Quick Facts:

• About 4,300 people supported by CLBC live in home-sharing living arrangements.
• Home-sharing providers can be a single person, a couple or a family, either renting or owning a home.
• Individuals accessing home sharing have their own space within the home.
• Arrangements can be long-term or a stepping stone to greater independence. 
• The Office of the Advocate for Service Quality (OASQ) has also shared its annual report, which mentions CLBC.

Learn More:

To see the original news release from June 2025, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025SDPR0007-000523

To see the external review and OASQ report, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/ministries/social-development-poverty-reduction/ministry-reports

To learn more about CLBC, visit: https://www.communitylivingbc.ca/

For more information about home sharing, visit: https://www.communitylivingbc.ca/for-service-providers/home-sharing/