ILA Member Spotlight – NAMI San Diego Independent Living

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a nonprofit organization that supports, educates, and advocates for people struggling with mental illness. NAMI San Diego opened up their independent living and joined the ILA on May 15, 2020.

NAMI San Diego decided to open up an independent living because through their work, they noticed how finding housing that is clean and suitable for someone to recover in is a challenging process. NAMI San Diego’s helpline consistently receives calls from the community from people who are in need of quality affordable housing options. Thus, they decided to open up an Independent living to help contribute to the solution and provide more beds for people in need. Opening up their independent living has been a journey that has indeed paid off when they see the women, supporting each other and improving their lives.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, running an independent living has become more challenging, but, the NAMI San Diego team has shown resilience and determination in overcoming these new roadblocks. In the short period of their membership, they have attended numerous ILA educational courses with full engagement to equip themselves with the knowledge to continue running a successful independent living. They have attended “Operating an Independent Living During COVID-19 Statewide Panel “, “Mental Health First Aid”, and “Screening Tenants”.

NAMI San Diego decided to join the ILA because they know the importance of being a part of a professional association that promotes high quality housing. The ILA provides educational courses, marketing, and support to its operators, but we give credibility to our member homes. Each ILA member home is required to go through a four-step process to ensure they meet our eight quality standards. NAMI San Diego intends and hopes they can open up more homes for those in need in the near future. The Independent Living Association appreciates and acknowledges the team’s dedication to their tenants, community, and wishes them continued success!

NAMI San Diego created a virtual tour of their Female-Only home! You can check it out here!