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March 2023
Improving Medium Term Accommodation
Tags: housing
Description:
NDIS participants waiting to move into their long-term housing. MTA has the potential to be a useful part of the solution to divert people away from aged care, hospital and other inappropriate settings. However, currently it is difficult to access, lacks quality standards and is poorly understood by participants and the sector. Along with timely and accurate decisions on long-term housing and support, MTA can be part of a larger solution that supports people with disability to have choice and control over their lives.
February 2023
Reimagining Shared Housing and Living – Workshop Findings and Recommendations
Tags: housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
In October to November 2022, the Housing Hub ran a series of workshops designed to gather collective knowledge about SDA-funded group homes from providers and stakeholders. Specifically, these workshops and the broader body of work were focused on housing for people with disability who have a preference to live with other people with disability.
The Reimagining Shared Housing and Living Report provides background to the workshops, and discusses the main findings and recommendations towards a better future for people with disability who choose to live in shared arrangements.
Citation:
Rathbone, A., Dwyer, H., Winkler, D., Mulherin, P. (2023). Reimagining shared housing and living: Workshop findings and recommendations. Housing Hub
October 2022
Home and Living decision-making – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation
Description:
Improving the experience and outcomes of NDIS participants, particularly around Home and Living supports, is a key focus of the NDIS. There have been a number of improvements and positive changes in the Home and Living space, including improved application processes and reports by the NDIA. While there is still more to do to ensure straightforward and transparent processes to enable NDIS participants to access appropriate housing and supports, it is great to see the focus and positive traction from the NDIA. This position statement identifies a number of wins for the NDIA and participants.
September 2022
Meet Kirsty – an NDIS participant from South Australia
Tags: housing, NDIS participant, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Kirsty lives in an SDA apartment in Adelaide with her cat schmooka, she is an artist. Kirsty shares her experience with the NDIS.
September 2022
Meet Trevor – an NDIS participant from South Australia
Tags: housing, NDIS participant, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Trevor has just moved into his SDA apartment after a long wait for approval, he shares his NDIS experience.
July 2022
Housing as a barrier to hospital discharge – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation
Tags: hospital discharge, housing
Description:
People with disability who have high and complex needs often get stuck in hospital due to challenges accessing the housing and support needed to leave hospital. The transition from hospital to home requires a coordinated approach between the NDIS and health and housing sectors. Enabling access to appropriate housing and supports when participants are clinically fit for discharge prevents disruptions to patient flow and poor health outcomes stemming from extended hospital stays.
July 2022
Improving housing accessibility in Australia
Tags: accessible housing, housing
Description:
Research supports incorporating accessible design features in the construction of all homes. The Summer Foundation urges State and Territory Governments to commit to improving housing accessibility so people with disability have more options for where they can live.
Only 5% of new home builds over the past decade have complied with current accessibility standards, meaning tens of thousands of Australians with disability are unable to access housing that meets their needs.
June 2022
Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 1: Interviews with professionals
Tags: housing, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
People with Huntington’s disease require high levels of specialised care in order for them to manage daily living tasks. Specialised housing for people with Huntington’s disease in Australia is limited. This is in part due to a lack of funding and in part due to a lack of appropriate facilities. For many people, this means that their only option is to live in residential aged care (RAC). Living in RAC is generally not appropriate given that the environment often has a lack of age-appropriate activities, and social interaction.
Citation:
Cubis, L., McDonald, S., Winkler, D., Douglas, J. (2022). Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 1: Interviews with professionals. Summer Foundation and La Trobe University.
June 2022
Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 2: Interviews with close others
Tags: housing, residential aged care (RAC)
Description:
People with Huntington’s disease require high levels of specialised care in order for them to manage daily living tasks. Specialised housing for people with Huntington’s disease in Australia is limited. This is in part due to a lack of funding and in part due to a lack of appropriate facilities. For many people, this means that their only option is to live in residential aged care (RAC). Living in RAC is generally not appropriate given that the environment often has a lack of age-appropriate activities, and social interaction.
Citation:
Cubis, L., McDonald, S., Winkler, D., Douglas, J. (2022). Effective housing and support models for people with Huntington’s disease – Report 2: Interviews with close others. Summer Foundation and La Trobe University.
June 2022
Specialist disability accommodation provider experience survey: June 2022
Tags: housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
The report includes the results of the Housing Hub’s second annual SDA Provider Experience Survey. In total, 28 providers completed the survey. These providers have a total of 1,281 places for tenants in their 671 SDA dwellings. At the time of the survey, they had committed over $1.5 billion to build SDA, accounting for nearly half of the total value of the SDA market.
The report contains a detailed analysis of the survey results. It also includes a series of recommendations for the NDIA, to ensure its stewardship of the SDA market maximises positive outcomes for both participants and providers.
You can also read a Summary of the report here.
Citation:
Wellecke, C., Robertson, J., Mulherin, P., Winkler, D., & Rathbone, A. (2022). Specialist Disability Accommodation provider experience survey: June 2022. Housing Hub and Summer Foundation.
May 2022
Housing Delayed and Denied: NDIA Decision-Making on specialist disability accommodation funding
Tags: housing, NDIS, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
In the past year, an increasing number of people have received SDA funding decisions that were not aligned with their needs and preferences.
In order to understand and engage with the SDA decision-making and appeals process, the Housing Hub and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) commenced a collaborative project in mid-2021, providing legal help to NDIS participants who are seeking reviews of SDA funding decisions at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). This new report presents our early findings.
Citation:
Skipsey, M., Winkler, D., Cohen, M., Mulherin, P., Rathbone, A., & Efstathiou, M. (2022). Housing delayed and denied: NDIA decision-making on Specialist Disability Accommodation. Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Housing Hub.
April 2022
Moving into new housing designed for people with disability: preliminary evaluation of outcomes
Tags: housing
Description:
This article presents initial findings of a national longitudinal study of the experiences of people who have moved into Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). The study shows that disability housing built with tenant outcomes in mind improves independence, health, wellbeing and community integration.
You can also read a Summary here.
Citation:
Douglas, J., Winkler, D., Oliver, S., Liddicoat, S., & D’Cruz, K. (2022) Moving into new housing designed for people with disability: Preliminary evaluation of outcomes. Disability and Rehabilitation.
March 2022
Support in specialist disability accommodation (SDA) Apartments
Tags: housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
The NDIA promotes innovation in the provision of housing and supports, and is seeking to “encourage new models of home and living” that replace more institutional arrangements, such as group homes or younger people living in aged care. One such model is the provision of on-site shared support (OSS) for people with disability living in co-located Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
This report provides findings from co-design workshops and interviews conducted in mid-2021 with NDIS participants living in SDA, and OSS and SDA providers. It shows the effective delivery of OSS in co-located SDA provides NDIS participants with the foundation they need to achieve a range of goals related to housing, support, independence, community, social and economic participation.
The report provides an evidence base for the development of a range of potential solutions and resources to address the challenges identified by tenants and providers.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Finis, C., D’Cruz, K., Mulherin, P., de Costa, M., Rathbone, A., Condi, A., Douglas, J. (2022). Support in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) apartments. Summer Foundation.
January 2022
Pre Budget Submission (2022)
Tags: hospital discharge, housing, NDIS
Description:
More than 50 young people continue to enter aged care each month. Most young people enter aged care via hospital -they fall through the gap between the hospital and the disability sectors.
Additionally over 1,100 long stay NDIS participants are stuck in Australian hospitals at a cost of $860m per annum. People with disability remain in hospital for months after they are clinically ready for discharge because it takes the NDIA an average of 60 days to determine eligibility and allocate funding for supports in an NDIS plan. Funding for SDA can take much longer.
Many NDIS participants have to go to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to get the right SDA determination. This can take up to another year, costing the Federal Government $17 million per annum (reported by the NDIA) and causing undue stress to NDIS participants and their families.
Lack of disability housing is not the main barrier to hospital discharge. According to the NDIA, there are 3,000 vacancies in disability housing across Australia, 800 of which are new build SDA.
In 2016, the NDIS committed to providing $700 million per year to housing payments called SDA. Last year the NDIA only allocated 31% of the committed $700 million for SDA (the partial allocation of committed funding also occurred in prior years).
The Federal Government will not achieve its 2022 or 2025 YPIRAC Targets unless:
- The NDIA steps up and matches the efficiency of the aged care system in the timely allocation of funding for housing and support, post receipt of all required evidence to make an SDA determination.
- There is investment in better hospital discharge for people with severe disability
December 2021
Housing Seeker Snapshot – December 2021
Tags: housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
On the Housing Hub website, people with disability who are looking for a home – housing seekers – can provide data about their housing needs and preferences and the site can then identify properties listed that are a close match.
In this second data snapshot, the Housing Hub is releasing data from housing seekers in a summarised way to inform the market. By doing this, the Housing Hub is working to ensure that the needs and wants of housing seekers are driving the market.
The Housing Hub will release this information every 6 months.
Citation:
Wellecke, C., Aimers, N., Rathbone, A., Winkler, D. (2021). Housing seeker snapshot – December 2021. Housing Hub and Summer Foundation.
November 2021
Storytellers with lived experience strengthening opportunities for people with disability to live independently – Co-design project
Tags: housing, independence
Description:
Traditionally, people with disability have been co-located in shared living environments such as group homes and residential aged care, or with family when available. In the context of acquired disabilities, discharge pathways from
hospital to home can be challenging, with many people who have sustained a spinal cord injury or acquired brain injury being unable to return to their pre-injury homes, and finding themselves living in shared living environments.
The aim of this co-design project was to create a series of tools to build the capacity of people with disability to make informed decisions about housing options.
Citation:
D’Cruz, K., de Costa, M., Winkler, D. Douglas, J. (2021). Storytellers with lived experience strengthening opportunities for people with disability to live independently: A co-design project. Summer Foundation and La Trobe University.
November 2021
Specialist Disability Accommodation – Supply in Australia: November 2021
Tags: housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
The government expects that by 2025 up to 30,000 NDIS participants with ‘extreme functional impairment’ or ‘very high support needs’ will be receiving funding for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). Understanding the current and future supply of SDA housing is crucial for supporting the development of the SDA market.
This report, Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) – Supply in Australia, is the fourth iteration of a national survey of SDA providers that aims to help inform stakeholders in the market.
You can view the previous editions of the SDA Supply Report through the links below:
Citation:
Aimers, N., Wellecke, C., Winkler, D., Rathbone, A., & Mulherin, P. (2021). Specialist Disability Accommodation – Supply in Australia: November 2021. Housing Hub and Summer Foundation.
July 2021
Interim Report – Moving into new housing designed for people with disability: Evaluation of tenant outcomes
Tags: accessible housing, housing
Description:
The preliminary findings presented in this interim report examine the tenant outcomes of people with disability moving into SDA-funded apartments, with appropriate technology, support, design and location, in the 10+1 model. The overarching aim of the research project is to systematically evaluate individual outcomes of tenants moving to newly built, SDA-funded contemporary models of housing for people with disability over a 3-year period.
To date, this project has found that tenants have a greater level of community participation and are significantly more involved in household tasks such as meal preparation, shopping and electronic social networking post-move. There is also a positive trend towards improved social integration. These changes reflect the fact that tenants moving into SDA-funded apartments are more involved in everyday life compared to their pre-move living situation, suggesting that the 10+1 model better enables people with severe disabilities to fulfil their aspirations to live an ordinary life.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Douglas, J., Oliver, S., D’Cruz, K., Naismith, J., Minter, E., & Liddicoat, S. (2021). Interim report – Moving into new housing designed for people with disability: Evaluation of tenant outcomes. Summer Foundation and La Trobe University.
July 2021
Separation of Housing and Support – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation
Description:
The provision of housing and supports must be separated to avoid conflicts of interest. Many participants receive a mixture of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Supported Independent Living (SIL), support coordination and other supports from the same provider. This presents an inherent conflict of interest that brings risk to participant safety, compromises housing security and limits or removes a participant’s right to exercise genuine choice and control.
This can result in limitations of a participant’s rights to exercise choice and control, including the inability to raise concerns or change support providers without putting at risk other services and supports they receive.
June 2021
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in Thin Markets
Tags: housing, NDIS Housing Options, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in Thin Markets resource identifies challenges and barriers to delivering SDA in thin markets. It explains the role that housing providers, disability support providers and all members of the community play in shaping opportunities for people with disability. The resource focuses on rural and remote areas in Western Australia and Queensland, Robust SDA and the impact the lack of SDA has on other mainstream systems.
May 2021
Housing Seeker Snapshot
Tags: accessible housing, housing
Description:
A new version of the Housing Hub website was launched in August 2020. On this new version of the Housing Hub, people with disability who are looking for a home – housing seekers – can provide data about their housing needs and preferences and the website can then identify properties listed that are a close match.
In this data snapshot, the Housing Hub is releasing data from housing seekers in a summarised way to inform the market. By doing this, the Housing Hub is working to ensure that the wants and needs of housing seekers are driving the market.
The Housing Hub intends to release this information every 6 months.
Citation:
Rathbone, A., Aimers, N., & Winkler, D. (2021). Housing seeker snapshot – May 2021. Housing Hub and Summer Foundation.
March 2021
Property developer Keith Fagg shares his experience building SDA
Tags: housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Property Developer, Keith Fagg, talks about his motivation for building Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
February 2021
Housing Needs and Preferences to Support Discharge
Tags: health professional, hospital discharge, housing
Citation:
The Housing Needs and Preferences to Support Discharge Guide and Template are for health professionals to support a person with disability to describe the housing and support they want and need so that they can be discharged to suitable housing.
February 2021
Audit of accessible features in new build houses plans
Tags: accessible housing, housing
Description:
This study audited 20 of the most popular house designs from Australia’s most active volume home builders. It found that many features of the Silver, Gold and Platinum levels of Livable Housing Australia’s (LHA) Livable Housing Design Guidelines are already incorporated into new dwellings produced by these builders.
Version 1.1 Updated February 2021.
Citation:
Winkler, D., Martel, A., Chen, Y., & Greaves, T. (2021). Audit of accessible features in new build house plans. Summer Foundation and the University of Melbourne.
January 2021
Specialist Disability Accommodation Supply in Australia: January 2021
Tags: housing
Description:
This report provides a comprehensive summary of the current supply of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in Australia. A national survey of SDA providers and developers was undertaken in October-November 2020. This survey offers insights into the SDA pipeline across Australia in 2020, and combines the survey results with the data published by the NDIA to provide the market an estimate of the supply pipeline. This report also provides insights into the experience of SDA providers. This includes their views about the SDA market as a whole, as well as plans they may have to develop further SDA.
This is the third annual report of its type, building on previous work of the Summer Foundation and Social Ventures Australia. The data in this report results from a survey of SDA providers in October and November 2020.
Previous editions of this report can be downloaded below.
Specialist Disability Accommodation Supply in Australia: March 2020
Specialist Disability Accommodation Supply in Australia: March 2019
Citation:
Housing Hub and Summer Foundation (2021). Specialist Disability Accommodation supply in Australia: January 2021.