Looking into Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) housing can be overwhelming. With so much to consider, it can be tricky to know where to start. The good news is, we’re here to help guide you through the process.
Quick links:
- What is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) housing?
- Who is Eligible for SDA?
- What are the 4 Design Categories of SDA Housing?
- How to Access/Apply for SDA Housing?
- What to look for in SDA Housing
What is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) housing?
SDA housing can include houses, apartments, and other types of dwellings specially designed for people with high functional impairment and/or high support needs. SDA provides options for specialised living environments that are necessary to address your needs.
There are four categories of SDA, which are determined by the design features and provisions they are equipped with. Some of these features can be exclusive to each category, providing you with a more personalised living experience. Some examples of SDA housing features include wider doorframes, large accessible bathrooms, open-plan living and provision for Assistive Technology (AT).
SDA offers a unique and higher-quality living option than traditional housing solutions. While other disability options, such as aged care facilities and respite care, provide essential support, they don’t usually offer as much independence and personalisation as SDA does.
To access SDA housing, participants must meet the NDIS eligibility criteria. This ensures that funding is provided to participants who would gain the most from a specialised living environment, rather than those who may benefit more from other support options.
SDA Eligibility
It’s important to realise that just because you’re part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), doesn’t mean you’re necessarily eligible for SDA housing funding.
Who is Eligible for SDA?
The NDIS will fund SDA if it’s the best option for your support needs when compared to other supports alone. To be eligible for SDA funding, you may require one or more of the following:
- Be a current NDIS participant
- You must be under 65 years old
- You require someone else to help you complete daily tasks or
- You need 1 on 1 assistance for a large portion of the day
Apart from this, you may be eligible for funding if with SDA housing you would:
- Improve, maintain or prevent your functional capacity from deteriorating
- Lower the need for future support and help from others
- Create better connections with informal (e.g. friends and family) and formal (e.g. health services, education and employment) support systems.
When applying for SDA, the NDIS may ask for proof in the form of reports from your allied health professional or other documents outlining your daily support and housing needs. This may include a functional capacity assessment or a home and living supporting evidence form provided by your support coordinator.
Additionally, SDA housing must also meet the NDIS funding criteria, which includes the following requirements:
- SDA housing is used to support your disability needs and nothing else unrelated.
- SDA will help you achieve the goals, objectives and aspirations in your NDIS plan.
- SDA will help you participate in social activities such as visiting friends as well as economic activities that help you maintain and find a job.
- SDA is a good value for money. This means that the cost of SDA is worth the benefits you’re receiving.
- SDA will be effective and truly beneficial for your needs.
Am I still eligible for SDA funding if I’m already living in SDA housing?
You’ll still be eligible if you’re already living in SDA housing when you become an NDIS participant. You may need to apply for a change of circumstance when your situation has changed and your plan no longer meets your SDA support needs. For example, your function has changed and you require access to a higher design category, from Improved Liveability to Fully Accessible or High Physical Support.
If you want to know more about your eligibility, try our SDA eligibility calculator to point you in the right direction – it takes less than 60 seconds.
What are the 4 Design Categories of SDA Housing?
When it comes to SDA housing, there are four distinct SDA design categories:
- Improved Liveability (IL)
- Fully Accessible (FA)
- High Physical Support (HPS)
- Robust
Each category has its own standards and criteria that allow for a more personalised living experience. For a home to be labelled as an SDA category, it must include particular features and designs. These standards are set in place so that you can maximise your comfort and essentially get the most out of your SDA funding.
Improved Liveability
ILÂ is designed for people who have sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment. The aim of ILÂ is to provide a reasonable level of physical access and additional features to promote safety and comfort.
Important design features of IL include but are not limited to:
- Task lighting
- Visual assistance lines
- Contrasting walls and doors
- Improved wayfinding with limited corridors
Check out our Improved Liveability Guide to learn more about this category.
Fully Accessible
FA is specially designed for people with high physical impairment and focuses on providing a high level of physical access. This SDA design category is particularly beneficial for wheelchair users, as FA homes are step-free and include thoughtful modifications to enhance mobility and convenience.
Some key design features of FA include but are not limited to:
- No stairs
- Wider doorways, with at least a 90cm opening
- Bathroom and kitchen are made to be used by people either in a seated or standing position
- If needed, automated doors, lights and blinds should be made available
High Physical Support
The HPS category prioritises accessibility and support for individuals with high physical impairment and critical support needs. Participants who benefit most from this category often require more assistance with daily activities and require specialised equipment. Similar to the FA design, this category features open-plan layouts, step-free accessways and wide corridors.
Some design features that are exclusive to HPS include but are not limited to:
- Wider doors, with at least a 95cm opening
- Each bedroom must be equipped to install and power a hoist
- Communication technology such as video or intercom must be provided
- Backup Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for important equipment when there is a power outage
Robust
The Robust SDA design category caters to individuals with a disability such as autism, mental health conditions and other psychosocial disorders. It’s equipped with special design features that minimise risk for individuals who could cause harm to the property, themselves or those around them. SDA homes under the Robust category are built with durable and strong materials that prevent injury, neighbourhood disturbances and the need for frequent maintenance.
Robust SDA homes should include key features designed for safety and durability, such as:
- Main bedrooms must be sound-insulated
- Kitchen benchtop and cabinetry shall be made of robust materials
- Strong and durable fixtures (e.g. door handles)
- Windows are made out of shatter-free material (e.g. polycarbonate)
What are the Benefits of SDA Housing?
Improved Quality of Life
SDA enhances quality of life by offering tailored design features for accessibility, comfort and security. With special provisions and design modifications, you can expect a home that fosters stability, reduces carer reliance and encourages social connections, supporting both physical and mental well-being.
Support Network
Some SDA housing providers, like Enliven Housing, work collaboratively with support providers to ensure all tenants have the best level of access to shared onsite support for emergency and unplanned support. Our current model incorporates between 10 –14 SDA apartments in each building and one additional apartment for an onsite Support Hub for the support provider to operate out of. This model promotes independence, enables easy access to support and is conducive to creating a sense of community among tenants within the building.
Community Cooperative with Enliven Housing
As a tenant of Enliven Housing, you become a part of our Community Cooperative – an inclusive, modern and forward-thinking SDA housing solution designed so you can get the most from your NDIS support budget. It enables you and other tenants to make decisions about your living environment together. As a member of our Community Cooperative, you actively participate in the collective decision-making processes that govern the community.
With our Community Cooperative, everyone voluntarily contributes to the cost of onsite support alongside other tenants. This ensures that your NDIS funding is utilised as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Visit our Community Cooperative page for more information.
Who Pays for SDA Housing?
SDA funding is provided by the NDIS and is directly paid to your SDA provider such as Enliven Housing. An SDA provider is similar to a landlord in a way that they own the home you live in and are ‘renting’ it out. The SDA payments that are provided by the NDIS cover the building and maintenance costs however you are still expected to provide a smaller rent contribution.
How much rent will I pay?
You’ll still have to make a ‘reasonable rent contribution’ – With Enliven Housing, this is no more than 25% of your Disability Support Pension, plus 25% of your Pension Supplement and 100% of Commonwealth Rent Assistance or equivalent.
How to Access/Apply for SDA Housing?
The NDIS aims to ensure that SDA funding genuinely benefits you before approving it. To do this, they hold meetings and discussions with you and, if needed, a support person. We’ve simplified the application process to make it easier for you to follow.
Step 1: Gather your Documents
The first step is to gather all documents that demonstrate how SDA will benefit you and your needs. This may be in the form of reports from your allied health professional or other documents outlining your daily support and housing needs. For example, a functional capacity assessment or home and living supporting evidence form provided by your support coordinator.
A Functional Capacity Assessment examines your ability to perform everyday tasks and determines where support, assistive devices or home adjustments might enhance your independence. The NDIS will look at this assessment and determine what options would work best in achieving your personal goals.
Step 2: Sending the Application
The next step is to send an email to the NDIA with the following documents:
- Change of Details or Change of Situation Form – This can be found on the NDIS website under the ‘Requesting home and living supports’ page.
- Supporting Evidence Form – This form can also be downloaded from the NDIS website. While it’s not required at this stage of the application, submitting it is highly recommended to help make the process faster and smoother. This can include the Functional Capacity Assessment from the above step.
Step 3: Phone Meeting
The next step involves a meeting or a phone conversation with an NDIS representative. It’s helpful to know that these calls can sometimes last over an hour, so it’s recommended to set aside sufficient time. During the conversation, the NDIS representative will guide you through the planning process and may suggest options tailored to your needs. This is also a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Step 4: Planning Meeting
The next step is to attend a Planning Meeting with the NDIS. In this meeting, you will discuss your personal circumstances, current supports, daily needs, safety requirements, goals, plan management preferences and the specific support needed to make the most of your NDIS plan.
Step 5: NDIS SDA Approval
If your SDA funding application is approved, the next step is to take action. By this stage, the NDIS will have finalised the details of your funding, such as the SDA design category, making it easier to narrow down your housing options. This is the ideal time to start exploring SDA opportunities and connect with providers like Enliven Housing. You can enquire about current availabilities and register your interest with us. We’ll ensure you’re kept up to date on future housing opportunities tailored to your needs.
If you hear from the NDIA and it’s not the result you hoped for, you can ask for an internal review. In certain cases, Enliven Housing may offer you a place in one of our SDA homes while you wait for an internal review outcome to come through. The NDIA will work towards completing all internal reviews starting the day after they receive your request.
Step 6: My NDIS Participant Portal
Once you’ve found an SDA provider, the next step is to login into your NDIS Participant Portal – all registered NDIS participants will have access to an account. Here, you’ll be able to view the agreements made between you and your chosen SDA provider. Your SDA provider will also use this platform to request payments from your NDIS budget. You’ll also be able to view the start and finish date of your SDA journey under the ‘active relationships’ tab.
At Enliven Housing, we are passionate about providing safe, comfortable and accessible homes. Our dedicated team will work closely with you to find the perfect SDA home for you. Getting started is easy—we’re here to support you every step of the way. Reach out if you need any assistance— Our friendly team is always happy to help.
What to look for in SDA Housing
If you’re considering SDA housing, it’s important to know what to look for. Here are some tips to get started:
- The SDA provider must be registered with and by the NDIS.
- The SDA provider must also manage potential or actual conflicts of interest, and ensure they act in your best interests and provide you with the necessary information to make informed decisions on your housing.
- The property must be registered with the NDIS as an SDA.
- The property must satisfy the appropriate SDA design criteria.
- The property should align with the type, design features and location outlined in your NDIS Plan.
- The location needs to be somewhere you can access your formal and informal supports.
- The property needs to suit your needs.
Your SDA provider will work with you to form a contract outlining the type, quality and price of the housing supports, including any ‘terms and conditions’. This is known as a tenancy or occupancy agreement. SDA payments will also be included in this agreement.
Tenancy and Service Agreements
When you become a tenant with an SDA provider, you’ll enter into a service agreement, known as a tenancy or occupancy agreement. This document outlines the requirements and expectations for both you and the SDA provider, ensuring a smooth and successful tenancy. Additionally, you may need to enter into a separate service agreement with your support provider, which will detail the specific housing supports available to you.
Living with Enliven
At Enliven Housing, we recognise that living with a disability can be challenging. That’s why our unique SDA housing model is designed to help you live independently with the support you need. We understand the value and importance of including tenants in the decision-making process and operate on a ‘friendly landlord model’.
Watch the video below to see why our Unique SDA Housing Model is loved by all our tenants including Jennifer.
In addition to our tenant-focused approach, our SDA homes are designed to be of the highest quality, both in their physical construction and the features they offer. Our SDA homes are a combination of Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible and High Physical Support designs. We not only comply with the NDIS SDA Design Standards, but we take it one step further and ensure every aspect of your home is as functional as possible. We currently have SDA properties in NSW, VIC, ACT, WA, SA and QLD.
What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is paid personal support for individuals with higher support needs. It can include assistance with household chores such as changing your bedsheets or mopping the floor. Similar to SDA housing, this type of support is focused on enhancing independence and quality of life for individuals by providing tailored assistance.
SIL vs. SDA: What’s the Difference?
Your SDA funding will pay for the actual property or the ‘bricks and mortar’, while the SIL or ILO (Individualised Living Options) funding will pay for the people who provide you support. These services can be accessed independently or together and it’s important to note that you don’t need SDA housing to receive SIL assistance.
Choose Australia’s Most Trusted SDA Housing Provider
We hope this guide has made you familiar with SDA housing. Gaining insight into what SDA offers is a crucial step toward identifying the support that will best meet your needs. Understanding the benefits of SDA is just the beginning of your journey toward finding the right home. At Enliven Housing, we aim to turn that understanding into action with purpose-built homes designed to meet your needs.
Whether you’re exploring eligibility or ready to apply, our friendly team are here to guide you. Take the next step – call us today to start your SDA journey.
