Improved Liveability
Homes designed to make them easier and safer to live in for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment.
Understanding SDA
What is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)?
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is housing designed for people with significant functional impairment or very high support needs.
SDA is funded through the NDIS for eligible participants and is designed to provide a home that is accessible, safe and suited to a person’s individual needs.
SDA is about the home, not your support
SDA funding pays for the specialist housing itself. It is separate from the funding a person may receive for the support and services they need in their everyday life.
This means your SDA provider looks after your home, while your day-to-day supports may be provided by a separate support provider of your choice.
Different homes for different needs
SDA homes are designed to different accessibility standards depending on the needs of the people who live in them. The main SDA design categories are:
Fully Accessible
Homes with a high level of physical accessibility for people with significant physical impairment.
High Physical Support
Highly accessible homes that include additional features for people with significant physical impairment and high support needs.
Robust
Homes designed with additional resilience and safety features for people who may have complex behaviours.
SDA is still your home
Living in SDA shouldn’t feel like living in a facility.
It is your home.
You should be able to feel comfortable, have privacy, welcome family and friends, make choices about your daily life and be treated with dignity and respect.
Finding the right SDA home is therefore about more than accessibility. It’s also about location, lifestyle, compatibility, independence and whether the home feels right for you.
Who can live in SDA?
SDA is available to NDIS participants who meet the eligibility requirements and have SDA funding included in their NDIS plan.
If you don’t currently have SDA funding but think SDA may be suitable for you, you can speak with your Support Coordinator, allied health professionals or the NDIA about your circumstances and housing needs.
What do residents pay?
The NDIS pays the eligible SDA funding directly to the registered SDA provider.
Residents generally also make a Reasonable Rent Contribution (RRC) towards the cost of living in the home. This is separate from the SDA funding paid by the NDIS.
Normal personal living expenses such as food, telephone, internet and other everyday costs are also generally the resident’s responsibility.
Choosing the right SDA home
Choosing an SDA home is a significant decision.
At Heartvale Living, we believe the conversation should start with the person, not the property.
We want to understand what matters to you, where you want to live, the type of home you need, who you may be living with and what will help you feel comfortable, safe and at home.
Because SDA isn’t simply about finding somewhere accessible to live. It’s about finding a home where you can live your life.
Talk to Heartvale Living
Whether you are looking for an SDA home, supporting someone with a housing enquiry, or own an SDA property and would like to discuss specialist management, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Talk to Heartvale