Understanding Specialist Disability Accommodation funding

Abstract

AHURI AHURI is a national independent research network with an expert not-for-profit research management company, AHURI Limited, at its centre. AHURI's mission is to deliver high quality research that influences policy development and practice change to improve the housing and urban environments of all Australians. Using high quality, independent evidence and through active, managed engagement, AHURI works to inform the policies and practices of governments and the housing and urban development industries, and stimulate debate in the broader Australian community. AHURI undertakes evidence-based policy development on a range of priority policy topics that are of interest to our audience groups, including housing and labour markets, urban growth and renewal, planning and infrastructure development, housing supply and affordability, homelessness, economic productivity, and social cohesion and wellbeing. Acknowledgements This material was produced with funding from the Australian Government and state and territory governments. AHURI Limited gratefully acknowledges the financial and other support it has received from these governments, without which this work would not have been possible. AHURI Limited also gratefully acknowledges the contributions, both financial and in-kind, of its university research partners who have helped make the completion of this material possible. Disclaimer The opinions in this report reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AHURI Limited, its Board, its funding organisations or Inquiry panel members. No responsibility is accepted by AHURI Limited, its Board or funders for the accuracy or omission of any statement, opinion, advice or information in this publication. AHURI journal AHURI Final Report journal series is a refereed series presenting the results of original research to a diverse readership of policy-makers, researchers and practitioners. Peer review statement An objective assessment of reports published in the AHURI journal series by carefully selected experts in the field ensures that material published is of the highest quality. The AHURI journal series employs a double-blind peer review of the full report, where anonymity is strictly observed between authors and referees.

Understanding the experience of social housing pathways

“…The NDIS has largely been welcomed by disability consumer advocates as offering the chance for more people with disability to have their need for support and independence recognised and resourced. However, the housing-specific component of the NDIS, the SDA program, is available only to a very small proportion of NDIS participants and concerns have been raised in the literature about the housing needs of those not assessed as eligible for this funding, especially those who have quite significant needs that leave them just under the threshold for support (see also Beer, Flanagan et al 2019).…”

Accommodating adults with intellectual disabilities and high support needs in Individual Supported Living arrangements

“…Of note, it is recognised that the NDIS and SDA will not provide accommodation support for the majority of persons with disabilities. Beer, Flanagan et al (2019) explored SDA funding as an investigative panel, and noted that 'SDA will provide an additional 8,000 accommodation opportunities for people in need of specialist disability housing'. SDA is specifically for persons whose high support needs may 'adversely affect their ability to live independent lives' (2019: 7).…”

The Shifting Risk of Homelessness among Persons with a Disability: Insights from a National Policy Intervention

“…In large measure the NDIS does not provide funding for the housing of persons with a disability as the focus is instead on services, for example, access to assistive technologies, worker-provided care and allied therapies, rather than general living assistance [8]. The NDIS includes a small, highly focused housing program-the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) program-developed to encourage investment and growth in disability-appropriate housing supply while also adding to the diversity of accommodation available to people with a disability.…”

“…The NDIS includes a small, highly focused housing program-the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) program-developed to encourage investment and growth in disability-appropriate housing supply while also adding to the diversity of accommodation available to people with a disability. However, this program is only intended to meet the housing needs of 6 per cent of persons eligible for NDIS support [8], effectively rationing such assistance to those with the most acute needs. The SDA program does not aspire necessarily to meet the housing needs of persons with a disability, instead it seeks to provide specialist accommodation for those individuals who require a purpose-built home in order to allow them to access NDIS services.…”