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If you are a member of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you could be eligible to live in a specific type of accommodation designed to better cater to your needs called Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) housing. This accommodation helps you live your best life, in line with your goals.
Finding suitable vacancies doesn’t have to be challenging when you come to us. The team at Disability Services can help you find suitable vacancies with all the facilities you need to thrive and live your best life.
Specialist Disability Accommodation is a type of NDIS housing available for some NDIS participants. The service provides the support you need to live in the community with enhanced support delivery.
NDIS SDA is primarily for individuals with high support needs or significant functional impairment, such as those with severe disabilities. Funding goes towards the brick-and-mortar costs of providing dwellings but doesn’t cover person-to-person support. That comes under a different scheme.
The features of NDIS specialist disability accommodation are not set in stone. Instead, they change over time as technology advances and supports become more sophisticated and helpful. The NDIS is moving away from the group home model with shared in-home supports towards smaller and newer dwellings, offering more tailored supports to participants.
If you are an NDIS scheme participant, you may be able to access funding for SDA accommodation. Payments come from existing funding allowances, reducing the overall cost of your accommodation.
The NDIS reserves SDA for people who:
Around 6 per cent of people currently receiving NDIS funding qualify for SDA. However, we can work closely with you to determine whether you are eligible.
SDA is helpful because it stimulates the housing market to provide accommodation beneficial for people living with disabilities. It makes money available for practical features that might benefit you living with a disability, such as easy front-door access for wheelchairs. NDIS pays costs to cover building and maintenance, while participants pay a rent contribution and various day-to-day living costs.
If you are eligible for SDA, the NDIS must ensure that it meets specific criteria. For instance, it must:
Accommodation must meet the SDA Design Standard to qualify as SDA housing. For instance, it must offer participants full accessibility, high physical support, or improved livability versus standard accommodation.
SDA assessors are the only people who can designate SDA housing as compliant. These professionals operate independently of developers to ensure fairness and guarantee participants can access suitable accommodations for their needs.
Assessors are involved in every stage of the process, from planning to completion. Professionals must complete various courses and already have significant standing in the community.
Disability Services offers several housing types to meet your requirements and ensure that supports can facilitate your care plan.
Improved livability accommodation supports those with cognitive, intellectual or sensory impairments. Developers must include easy-to-see walls and floors and few stairs, if any.
Accommodation may also include other supports, such as handrails and bars, and a living space for care workers that enables them to access you more efficiently.
Fully accessible accommodation may be suitable for you if you have a lot of physical challenges. Developers design these homes for those who require wheelchair access or who can’t use steps. Designers must invest in level thresholds at the main entryway and floor plans that don’t require stepping up or down.
NDIS also allocates funding to make homes more “robust.” The purpose of this money is to reinforce residences to make them stronger and more durable, reducing the need for maintenance.
You may benefit from SDA improvements if you are a long-term tenant and participant in the scheme. It may also help you if you have challenging or complex behavioural issues that could lead to property damage. Investments that increase your home’s reduce the cost of repairs and free up funds.
Finally, NDIS funding can also go towards an SDA that provides you with extensive physical support. For example, the NDIS could allocate money to provide a backup power supply for in-home medical equipment, home automation technology to assist with chores, various communication technologies to talk to support workers, and ceiling hoists for getting out of bed and personal care.
Our team can help direct you to the type of SDA accommodation that best meets your needs. When you come to us, your SDA home will have all the facilities for managing your disability or condition.
If you are a person living with a disability or have higher support needs, Disability Services can help you find NDIS accommodation that meets your needs in your local area. You can choose between group and individual homes, depending on your living preferences, and you can find accommodation offering the specific adjustments and features you require to improve your quality of life.
If you want SDA funding, you must apply for a Housing Assessment Report. Here, an occupational therapist will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your existing home to determine if you are eligible for funding and the type of home that will best meet your support requirements.
During your application, you should also provide supporting documents as evidence of your disability or higher support needs. Statements of support from various health providers, such as your physiotherapist or GP, can strengthen your case. A Housing Plan from your Support coordinator or occupational therapist may also be beneficial.
We can assist if you are unsure about any aspect of this process. Our team can guide you through the administrative steps and assist you in making the best case possible for the accommodation funding you require. As specialist disability accommodation providers, we use money directly from your NDIS funding allocation to make improvements or move you to a more suitable home.
Finding SDA apartments or housing is more straightforward when you come to us. Our expert team ensures you receive the expert care you need. We are committed to empowering you to lead a life on your terms.
Once you qualify for NDIS SDA funding, finding your new home is easy. Here’s our process:
In many cases, you can combine SDA with supported independent living (SIL). SDA provides the accommodation you need, while SIL offers a holistic approach to ensuring you live the best life possible.
Living in a home tailored to meet your disability and high support needs offers benefits that aren’t available in regular accommodation.
Perhaps the most prominent benefit is living in a home specifically designed to meet your needs. Homes come with features that suit your requirements, whether physical, cognitive, behavioural or a combination of these three.
Many homes have areas for support workers to remain with you day and night, providing you with all the help you need to continue benefiting from your new accommodation.
Living in SDA also enables you to access more of your home. Wheelchair ramps, hoists, and assistive technologies make daily life more convenient.
Being able to move around safely and smoothly is helpful, but the main benefit is the sense of independence, normalcy and belonging these features offer. Small changes can transform your accommodation from harsh and hostile to welcoming and cosy.
Another benefit of SDA is the social and emotional benefits. If you live in a shared property, you can make friends with other residents of a similar age and disability level.
This accommodation type is especially helpful for those with limited social connections outside the home. Being a member of SDA housing helps you feel like a valued part of the community.
If you would like support with any aspect of your SDA accommodation, Disability Services can help. Our team can assist with:
We believe that where you live can have a profound impact on your quality of life. The difference in how you feel living in accommodation that’s appropriate for your disability and not can be significant.
Don’t leave your future to chance. Work with us and experience the benefits of choosing an experienced SDA provider to help you find accommodation suitable for your circumstances.
Various forms of SDA funding are available, depending on your requirements. The amount you will receive will depend on three factors: the design category, the type of dwelling, and the location.
NDIS assessors will take into account your needs when assessing the design category. The goal is to match you with suitable accommodation based on your physical, cognitive, and behavioural requirements.
Dwelling type refers to the specific living arrangements you prefer to meet your goals. Independent living and shared options are available. Finally, the location of the accommodation relates to your goals and the need to provide the community with value for money.
Providers like us are paid for SDA dwellings only when enrolled into the SDA program. Payments are received from your NDIS funding when you move into your accommodation.
The maximum rent you can pay is 25 per cent of your disability support pension plus 100 per cent of any Commonwealth Rental assistance. The total amount you pay is almost always significantly below a conventional private rental. NDIS provides funding for rental payments via the SDA housing fund in your plan.
SDA rent does not cover all living costs, including daily living costs, groceries and bills. Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding pays for individuals who provide care and support.
Ultimately, taxpayers subsidise the cost of SDA. The government collects taxes and distributes some funds to the NDIS. The person living with a disability then receives payments via this channel for their accommodation.
The NDIS believes in choice and control. Therefore, it makes payments directly to you if you are living with a disability and a participant in the scheme.
An Allied Health Report should contain all necessary information to determine the significance of your disability or mobility needs, the supports you require, and the types of housing features that would benefit you. It should also highlight how moving to SDA would improve your existing living situation and quality of life.
