The Cost of Choice: Rethinking What “Expensive” Really Means in Supported Living
“How do you put a price tag on choice?”
It’s a simple question, but it’s one that challenges one of the most common assumptions about supported living: that providing individualized, community-based care is simply too expensive.
At Community Living Connections, we hear this often. The idea that supported living costs more has become almost automatic—a myth that rarely gets questioned. But when we pause and ask, “Who says it’s more expensive?” and “What are we comparing it to?”, a very different picture begins to emerge.
Looking at the Numbers Honestly
Let’s start with the facts.
Corporate Certified Adult Family Homes (CAFH), which provide 1–2 beds of care in a household setting, cost $374-$424 per day.
CBRF (Community Based Residential Facility, where care is delivered in a group setting, come in even higher at $141-$168 per day.
Licensed Adult Family Home, typically serving 3–4 individuals, cost around $204-$238 per day—often for individuals with lower care needs.
And then there’s us.
At Community Living Connections, our average rate is $157.52 per day.
No. Tiers. No scaling. No buckets. Just a person-centered rate for each person based on support needs
So again we ask: what are we comparing it to?
Because when you place these numbers side by side, supported living isn’t the more expensive option. In many cases, it’s actually the most cost-effective.
But This Isn’t Just About Cost
While the numbers matter, they’re only part of the story.
Because supported living isn’t just about providing care—it’s about how that care is experienced.
At Community Living Connections, our goal is to provide:
Stability
Flexibility
Choice
Individualized support
That means people are not just receiving services—they are living full lives in environments that feel like home, not institutions.
It’s important to say: other care facilities and organizations are doing meaningful work. They provide important services, and they serve many individuals and families with dedication.
We recognize that.
But we also recognize something else: there are limitations in institutional and group-based care models.
When care is delivered to larger groups, it can become harder to tailor support to each individual’s unique needs, preferences, and goals. Sometimes, unintentionally, those limitations affect something deeper—a person’s autonomy, their sense of control, and even their human rights.
Supported living takes a different approach. It starts with the individual and builds outward—not the other way around.
What “Value” Really Means
If we only measure care by its price per day, we miss what truly matters.
What is the value of:
Choosing when you eat?
Deciding how you spend your day?
Living in a space that feels like your own?
Being part of a community, rather than separated from it?
Again, how do you put a price tag on choice?
There are many organizations in the supported living space across Wisconsin that emphasize that community-based services are built around independence, dignity, and inclusion. These models focus on helping individuals thrive in real-life settings, rather than simply maintaining them in structured environments.
That distinction matters.
Because when care supports independence, it doesn’t just improve quality of life—it can also reduce long-term costs by fostering skills, confidence, and stability.
Busting the Myth
The idea that supported living is “too expensive” doesn’t really hold up when you look at the data.
In fact:
It can cost less per day than many traditional care settings
It provides more personalized, flexible support
And it centers on outcomes that matter most to individuals and families
So maybe the real question isn’t whether supported living costs more.
Maybe the real question is:
What kind of care are we choosing to invest in?
A Different Way Forward
At Community Living Connections, we believe that support should never be one-size-fits-all.
We believe people deserve:
To be seen as individuals, not placements
To have a voice in their daily lives
To live in environments that reflect who they are
And we believe it’s possible to provide that level of care without increasing cost.
This isn’t about competing with other types of providers. It’s about expanding the conversation—and making sure we’re asking the right questions about value, dignity, and choice.
Because when we do, the myth starts to fade.
And what’s left is something much clearer:
Supported living isn’t the expensive option.
It’s the thoughtful one.
Stay tuned for more stories and reflections that highlight CLC’s values around home, belonging, and community. We welcome your thoughts and experiences—and we invite you to keep learning alongside us. Feel free to email me to share your stories of why you love your home, why owning your own front door is important to you, and what you want our community to know about your home and what it means to you.
Here’s to building inclusive communities with you,
Jen Squire, CEO
