This report examines the quality of life for individuals with mental retardation who live in a range of residential service settings in New York, and explores issues related to the provision of housing and appropriate supports. Five settings were studied: (1) an intentional Christian community where three individuals with mental retardation live with four people who are not disabled; (2) a supervised apartment for three young men; (3) a group home for four women; (4) an Intermediate Care Facility for eight children; and (5) 12-person "small residential units" built on the grounds of a New York State institution. The report begins with a section describing the research methodology, followed by a detailed qualitative description of each residential setting. The subsequent two sections provide further description of one or two of the individuals who live in each setting and a mealtime at each. Next is a section which presents the results of a quantitative rating of each program along 42 service dimensions. Concluding comments address the implications of these findings and their relationship to integration and the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities. (JDD)