FAQs

To be eligible for SDA, you must have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. 

Having extreme functional impairment means that even if your home has been set up to suit you, you still need assistance to do things like:

•  Getting out of bed 
• Getting dressed 
• Making meals
• Going out 

If you want the NDIS to think about whether you can live in SDA, make “I want to live as independently as possible” one of the goals in your NDIS plan.

There are 5 types of Specialist Disability Accommodation. These are referred to as the SDA Design Categories:

Basic 

Covers older properties that don’t have any special design features.  Basic SDA is no longer being built.

Improved Liveability 

If you find it difficult to see or understand things around you, then Improved Liveability SDA might suit you.

Improved Liveability SDA is easy to move around in. Doorways, handles and switches are easy to see and it’s often easy to see from one room through to the next.

Fully Accessible 

If you have a significant physical disability, then Fully Accessible SDA might suit you. Most often, people who are eligible for Fully Accessible SDA use a wheelchair to get around some or all of the time. 

There are no steps in a Fully Accessible home. Doorways are wide enough for a wheelchair. The bathroom is designed to be used by people who are sitting as well as standing and the kitchen often is too.

High Physical Support 

If you use an electric wheelchair to get around, or a hoist to get in and out of bed, or you need many hours of support every day, then High Physical Support SDA might suit you.

A High Physical Support home has all the features of Fully Accessible SDA, plus emergency back-up power and a ceiling that is strong enough for a ceiling hoist. It will often have an intercom that connects you to a support worker who is close by. It may also have assistive technology that suits the needs of the person who lives there. This could include doors, lights and heating that can be controlled with your voice or a device.

Robust 

If you sometimes behave in a way that may not be safe for you or the people around you, then Robust SDA might suit you. 

The walls, windows and other things in a Robust home aren’t easily broken. It has good sound-proofing, so that sounds from outside don’t upset you, and so that any noise you make doesn’t upset the neighbours. The doors and windows are secure. A Robust home will also have a space where you, other residents or staff can go to keep safe.

SDA also includes 5 Building Types.

1. Apartments Self-contained units in a larger residential building

2. Duplexes, villas and townhouses Separate but semi-attached properties on one piece of land. This includes housing, such as granny flats

3. Houses Detached low-rise dwellings with garden or courtyard areas

4. Group homes Houses for 4 or 5 long-term residents

5. Larger dwellings For more than 5 long-term residents

The NDIS is all about you having choice and control. Under the NDIS, where you live and who supports you are separate. 

SDA refers to a type of housing. The SDA payments in your NDIS plan pay for where you live.

The Supported Independent Living (SIL) or Individual Living Options (ILO) funding in your NDIS plan pays for the people that support you.

If you like where you live but are not happy with the way you’re being supported, you should be able to change who supports you. 

If where you live doesn’t meet your needs or makes you unhappy, you should be able to change where you live without needing to change who supports you.

Some SDA properties have overnight or 24-hour on-site support that is shared by residents. Usually, each resident pays for part of the cost of this support from their support funding. 

The rest of your support funding is used by you to pay for the planned support that you need.

In some SDA properties, the residents choose the on-site support provider together. In other SDA properties, the SDA landlord chooses who provides the on-site support. 

In all SDA properties, you have the right to choose who provides your planned support.

If you’re eligible for specialist disability accommodation, your plan will include your specialist disability accommodation budget. This is the maximum amount the NDIA will pay for your specialist disability accommodation supports. This funding is for your specialist disability accommodation provider.  

Paying rent is an ordinary cost of living. People living in SDA accommodation will pay rent directly to the SDA Provider. The maximum reasonable rent contribution is 25% of the Commonwealth Disability Support Pension (DSP), as well as any Commonwealth Rent Assistance (or equivalent if self-funded). People living in SDA also pay a contribution towards utilities, the cost of food and other personal items. 

Having a positive home environment is very important. You may be moving with other people you currently live with to a new Somerville Housing home. We work in collaboration with SIL providers to match people together using a process that considers all the important factors when deciding who to live with. You will meet with potential housemates regularly and have a say throughout this process.

Somerville Housing as the property manager are responsible for all maintenance issues and will respond to them in a timely manner.