What Supported Independent Living Can Look Like

When families start thinking about independent living for an adult with diverse abilities, the questions come fast. Will they be safe? Will they be happy? Who helps when something goes wrong? These are the right questions, and they're easier to answer once you know what supported living can look like in practice.

This guide is for adults, families, caregivers and support coordinators in Gulfport, St. Petersburg and around Tampa Bay. It describes what ProjectFREE lists for its independent living program, and gives general advice you can bring to any tour.

What supported really means

Supported independent living is not a place where things get done for you. It's a home where you live your life, with help matched to what you need. Some people need help with money and appointments. Others need someone nearby in the evenings. The idea is that help goes up or down as the person does, and the person stays in charge of their own days.

ProjectFREE describes the aim as a place where people with diverse abilities can live, learn, work and play in a community. Its independent living page says it is accepting applications and invites visitors to book a tour.

What a week can include

The ProjectFREE page lists independent housing, life skills development, community integration and social engagement. It also lists structured days, shared meals, events, weekend outings and recreation, and a YMCA membership.

Structure matters here, and so does choice. A structured day means people know the plan and can count on it. Shared meals give an easy reason to sit with housemates and talk. Weekend outings keep the week from collapsing into the couch. And a YMCA membership is a practical way to keep moving, and a reason to be out among neighbors.

There is a work side too. The program lists food truck and cafe operations, performing arts, dessert product development, creative arts and printing, and a candle making business. Some of those, like the food truck, are plans for 2026 and are not operating yet, so ask what is running today.

The help behind the scenes

ProjectFREE says its independent living includes highly engaged staff, in-home direct support professionals and individualized support plans. A direct support professional is a person whose job is to help an adult live the life they've chosen. A support plan puts the person's goals and the help they need into writing.

It also lists a Supported Living Coach, who helps with independent living skills at home and in the community. The examples it gives are finances, doctor appointments and groceries, along with social inclusion. These are the everyday tasks that decide whether living on your own works. Learning to book an appointment, buy what you need and manage what you spend is a skill, and skills are taught.

Staffing details, such as how many people are on at a given hour, aren't published, and this post won't guess. That's a question to ask directly on a tour.

Questions to bring on a tour

• What does a normal weekday look like, and how much of it does each person choose?
• Who writes the support plan, and how often is it reviewed with the person and their family?
• How are housemates matched, and what happens if two people don't get along?
• How are medical appointments, medications and emergencies handled?
• Which activities and work programs are running now, and which are still plans?
• What funding does the program work with, and who can help with the application?

Take notes, and take your time. A good program will not rush you to decide on the day you visit. Bring the adult who would be living there, whenever possible. Ask the staff to speak to them, not around them. The way people are addressed on a tour is usually the way they're addressed day to day.

How to apply or book a tour

ProjectFREE has an independent living application on its website, and a page for booking a tour. The program does not publish fees, and its programs run through the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, so funding questions are best answered by a conversation. A support coordinator can help you prepare for it.

The simplest first step is a phone call. Call ProjectFREE at (727) 603-0595, tell them who you're calling about, and ask about applications and a tour. You can also use the contact page. The address is 2026 51st St S in Gulfport.