Social and community housing

In Australia, state and territory governments are responsible for social and affordable housing. Subject to waiting periods, they have an obligation to support people to find affordable housing in the general housing rental market. Schemes, such as Commonwealth Rent Assistance, a payment through Services Australia, assists eligible participants with the cost of housing and the National Rental Affordability Scheme creates additional affordable rental properties.

If you have a need for specialised housing as a result of your disability, the NDIS may also contribute to the cost of  your accommodation. To access this funding you may be required to complete a home and living support application if you’re unable to access housing through the normal public or private housing market.

If you are a younger person with a disability, the NDIS may provide support to help you move out of the family home, or a group home, and into mainstream housing. When making housing decisions,  it’s  important to talk to your plan manager about your longer term goals and how and where you would like to live and with whom. This can be factored into your plan with a specific goal to work towards increased independent living.

Although the NDIS does provide some support when it comes to your accommodation, you are responsible for the day-to-day living costs associated with  it, including rent, utilities, groceries, telephone or internet costs. This also applies to general household items, such as furniture, fridge and other cooking utensils.

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) 

This special type of  accommodation is for people with very high and  complex support needs who require specialist housing and full time, professional care. Usually this accommodation is shared with other people, either in a unit or in a home.

The NDIS does not fund these support services but, rather, the homes in which these services are delivered.

This type of funding is only provided to a small proportion of NDIS participants and these are people with extreme functional impairment and very high support needs. 

Eligible participants requiring access to SDA will have funding included in their plan to cover any disability-related housing costs that are the ordinary costs of housing. This means tenants will still need to pay a ‘reasonable rent contribution’.

SDA does not cover support costs, which are assessed and funded separately by the NDIS and referred to as ‘supported independent living costs.’