Page of

September 2024
Review of Australia’s Disability Strategy – Submission from Building Better Homes
Tags: accessible housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Housing with livable and accessible design is crucial for meeting the needs of all Australians with mobility impairments, including people with disability and older people. From experience, we know the housing industry will not adopt accessibility standards unless they are regulated and mandated.
The Building Better Homes Campaign is advocating for Australia’s Disability Strategy to include an action in the proposed new housing Targeted Action Plan (TAP) for all states and territories to implement the 2022 National Construction Code Livable Housing Design Standards. It should also support accountability on the implementation of the mandatory standards by requiring all states and territories to report regularly on the implementation of the accessibility standards.

January 2024

Being a pioneer: a qualitative study of moving into individualised housing from the perspective of adults with neurological disability
Tags: Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
There is limited research to inform best practice in individualised disability housing. To develop effective policy and inform the SDA market, the experiences of people moving into SDA must be understood. This study aimed to understand the experience of moving into SDA for people with acquired complex disability. The findings of this study provide insights into the transition experience of moving into, and living in, newly built SDA. Better outcomes will benefit people with disability, providers, and investors, but also the federal government as it addresses the rising costs of the NDIS.
Citation:
Douglas J., Winkler D., D’Cruz K., Oliver S., Liddicoat S., Naismith J., & Wakim D. (2024) Being a pioneer: a qualitative study of moving into individualised housing from the perspective of adults with neurological disability. Brain Impairment.

July 2023
About Specialist Disability Accommodation
Tags: housing, housing resources, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
This resource provides an overview of housing options, including Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The role of SDA is explained along with how SDA payments, provided in an individual participant’s plan, flow through to a registered provider of SDA housing.

June 2023
SDA payments guide
Tags: allied health, housing resources, NDIS, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), support coordinator
Description:
This guide explains what Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) payments are, who they are paid to and how they are accessed. For people who have SDA payments included in their NDIS Plan, it explains how to make the most of this funding.

March 2023
Meet Christie
Tags: community, housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Christie talks about what SDA means to her.

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

Providing an evidence base for Home and Living decisions – A survey of occupational therapists
Tags: disability support, NDIS participant, occupational therapist, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
The Summer Foundation and Occupational Therapy Australia conducted a survey in July 2022 to explore the role of OTs in helping NDIS participants request SDA funding. The aim was to understand the functional assessment and report-writing process from the OT perspective and provide actionable insights to the NDIA.
Key Findings include:
- Clear, concise and rigorous OT reports have the potential to help NDIS participants with the highest levels of needs secure adequate funding for housing and support, including funding for specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
- However, there is currently very limited information about what evidence the NDIA needs from OT reports to make informed, timely and accurate decisions.
Occupational therapists need to know what the NDIA thinks a ‘good’ functional assessment report looks like to help NDIS participants provide evidence for Home and Living decisions.
Citation:
Winkler, D., D’Cruz, K., Minter, E., Mulherin, P. (2022). Providing an evidence base for Home and Living decisions: A survey of occupational therapists writing functional assessment reports for NDIS participants. Summer Foundation.

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.

August 2022

Budgetary impacts of timely specialist disability accommodation payment approvals
Tags: Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
The Summer Foundation presents a discussion paper about the importance of getting eligible NDIS participants into well designed, appropriate SDA in a timely manner.
Research indicates NDIS participants living in well-designed, appropriate SDA have improved health and well-being. Additionally, it has the potential to reduce overall costs to the NDIS, due to a reduction in the need for costly supports.
Currently delays in SDA funding are restricting the continued flow of participants into SDA and led to more than 1,000 NDIS participants stuck in hospital beds. This has presented a significant burden on the health system, especially during the pandemic.
Citation:
Winkler, D., & Rathbone, A. (2022). Budgetary impact of timely specialist disability accommodation payment approvals: Discussion paper. Summer Foundation.

May 2022
On-site shared support in Specialist Disability Accommodation – Discussion paper
Tags: disability support, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Supported Independent Living (SIL)
Description:
In 2021 the Summer Foundation held a series of workshops and interviews with on-site support providers, specialist disability accommodation (SDA) providers, and tenants living in SDA apartments. Preliminary findings from the workshops were published in May 2022, and the main findings were that there is scope for service redesign and innovation to improve the quality and efficiency of support.
We are seeking input from support providers for improving the preliminary report and recommendations. Please contact [email protected] by 30 June 2022.

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.

August 2021
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Investor Think Tank: Findings and Recommendations
Tags: accessible housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Thousands of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) dwellings are needed to meet Australia’s accessible housing needs. Private investors play a significant role in funding the considerable build and refurbishment of housing that is needed.
This investment plays an important role in supporting the Australian Government’s vision for a market-based system and reduces the pressure on public funds.
Citation:
Madhavan, D., Mulherin, P., Winkler, D, (2021). Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) investor think tank: Findings and recommendations. Summer Foundation.

June 2021
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in Thin Markets
Tags: housing, 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.

February 2020
Living independently ‘Trevor chooses how he wants to live’
Tags: disability support, independence, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Linda, Trevor’s Mum, shares how Trevor’s life has changed since he chose to live independently with support in an SDA apartment.

February 2020
Linda offers her advice on looking for SDA
Tags: accessible housing, NDIS, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Linda explains clearly the steps involved when looking for SDA.
She highlights the impact on her son, Trevor and herself since
he moved into an SDA apartment.

December 2019
Sam Shares ‘things that helped me move’
Tags: complex support, NDIS, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Sam has moved from a group home into an SDA apartment. Sam would like to share with others things that helped this move. “We don’t know what we could be, but it is a lot more than they expect.”

November 2019
Shanais living independently in an SDA Apartment
Tags: accessible housing, complex support, independence, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Shanais describes how life changing it is to be living independently in an accessible apartment in Melbourne.

June 2019
Carol & Kevin support their daughter through her SDA journey
Tags: accessible housing, independence, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Kirby had to move home to live with her parents after her injury. It was always Kirby’s dream to return to independent living. Carol and Kevin share their journey of supporting Kirby through the SDA process.

April 2019
Kirby’s SDA journey to her new home
Tags: community, disability support, independence, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Kirby finally has her own space again, making her own choices. See how SDA has helped Kirby’s dream to live independently again in her own home.

March 2018
Michelle’s housing journey
Tags: independence, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
At the age of 19, Michelle suffered an asthma attack and spent nearly two years in a nursing home. This is Michelle’s journey to once again living independently.

March 2018

Specialist disability accommodation market insights
Tags: Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
Knowing where Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is required, what people’s needs and preferences are and insights into new SDA being built allow investors, SDA developers and housing providers to plan with confidence. This report is the result of a collaboration between SGS Economics, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and the Summer Foundation.
Citation:
SGS Economics & Planning and Summer Foundation (2018). Specialist Disability Accommodation market insights.

February 2018
Establishing Effective SDA Projects
Tags: complex support, housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Description:
This document shares the practical elements of what is involved in creating housing projects that are suitable for people with complex needs and eligible for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) payments. The report provides an overview and checklist for six stages of delivering SDA projects.