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Disability Housing Options & Assistance

  • Writer: Dee McCulloch
    Dee McCulloch
  • Jul 2
  • 5 min read

Securing suitable housing and thriving within an inclusive community are fundamental aspects of leading a fulfilling life. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the intricate relationship between the NDIS and the housing and community infrastructure system. By understanding the roles and responsibilities of each, individuals with disabilities can confidently pursue accessible and affordable housing options while receiving the necessary support to maintain their independence.


Unpacking Housing and Community Infrastructure: Housing encompasses a variety of living arrangements that cater to individual needs. This can include social housing options like public and community housing. On the other hand, community infrastructure focuses on enhancing the accessibility of public buildings and spaces to accommodate people with disabilities.


Responsibilities of the Housing and Community Infrastructure System: The housing and community infrastructure system plays a pivotal role in ensuring everyone has access to appropriate housing. This includes:

  1. Housing and Accommodation: Ensuring accessible, affordable, and appropriate housing for all Australians, including those with disabilities.

  2. Tenancy Support: Offering routine rental support to assist with property-related questions or concerns and collaborating with landlords.

  3. Livable Housing Design: Implementing Livable Housing Design features in new social housing to enhance accessibility.

  4. Homelessness Prevention: Providing support and outreach services to prevent homelessness and assist those who are homeless.

  5. Emergency and Long-Term Accommodation: Offering emergency and extended accommodation for individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

  6. Enhancing Accessibility: Improving community facilities, public buildings, and spaces to make them more inclusive and accessible through various means, such as city planning and modifications.


Responsibilities of the NDIS: While the housing and community infrastructure system focuses on housing-related aspects, the NDIS extends its support to daily life activities and independent living. This includes:

  1. Independent Living Support: Assisting individuals in building skills to maintain rental agreements and offering behaviour support.

  2. Home Modifications: Funding modifications for privately owned or rented homes that aren’t social housing.

  3. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA): SDA is a range of housing designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA dwellings have accessible features to help residents live more independently and allow other supports to be delivered better or more safely.

    Participants eligible for SDA:

    • have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs

    • meet the specialist disability accommodation needs requirement and the NDIS funding criteria

    More information about SDA and eligibility is in the SDA Operational Guideline . SDA helps to stimulate the market to produce high quality, contemporary, accessible, well-designed housing for participants eligible for SDA. The NDIS provides funding for SDA through a participant’s plan. Participants pay a reasonable rent contribution and other day to day living costs such as electricity bills.


Real-Life Example: Meet Joe, who urgently needs to move from his shared house due to his disability-related needs. Seeking a rental property for the first time, he approaches his state housing authority for assistance. They offer emergency short-term accommodation while helping Joe find a suitable rental home. They also provide him with the necessary support to maintain his tenancy, including potential rent assistance.

The NDIS could offer additional support to help Joe thrive in his new home, such as assistance with rental inspections, bill payments, and daily life skills. By collaborating with both the housing authority and the NDIS, Joe can confidently transition to independent living.


The NDIS also provide what is called short-term and medium-term accommodation. Short Term Accommodation, including respite, is funding for support and accommodation for a short time away from your usual home. It covers the cost of your care in another place for up to 14 days at a time (28-days in total across a year if eligible). You might have a short stay with other people, or by yourself. It’s often funded when your usual carers aren’t available, or for you to try new things. Short term accommodation can be funded from core funding and will either be 'stated' which means the funds allocated must be used for this purpose, or if your core funding is flexible can be used from the core funding pool. New rules have meant that 1:1 short term accommodation must be 'stated', otherwise the 2, 3 or 4:1 rates, in the NDIS support catalogue and pricing arrangements must be used. Medium term accommodation can be funded under very limited circumstances, such as, so you have somewhere to live if you can't move into your long-term home because your disability supports aren't ready. To be eligible, you must have a home you’ll move into, and you need somewhere else to live in the medium term. The NDIS might fund medium term accommodation for up to 90 days and will consider a variety of circumstances such as whether you’re engaged with other mainstream systems, such as health or justice.


Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Whilst we have included SIL in this article, it is not accommodation as such, as the funding is for support staff to assist, not for the accommodation itself or related costs such as rent. This arrangement may be in a home of your own, or as a group, where participants are matched and can share some supports and resources which can often make things more affordable. Supported independent living is best suited to people with a disability who have higher support needs. This means you need a significant amount of help throughout the day, 7 days a week. This includes overnight support. As with short term accommodation, but far more strictly, the NDIS will assess the level of support you need and allocate a support ratio such as 1:1 for very high needs through to 1:4 for someone who doesn't need as much support, but it is important to have someone available to assist. It includes help or supervision with daily tasks, like personal care or cooking meals. It helps you live as independently as possible, while building your skills. Supported independent living is for people with higher support needs, who need some level of help at home all the time. You can get supported independent living if you live with other NDIS participants. You can also get supported independent living if you live on your own, but there might be other home and living supports that suit you better.  It's important to note that SIL funding can’t be used for things like rent or other day-to-day expenses like groceries. 


Public Housing

Each state / territory has their own public housing department, waitlists can be long, and people should apply as soon as possible and follow-up regularly (including change of circumstances / risk of homelessness etc.).  NRAS housing is a rental subsidy program and NRAS properties can be found on the internet including www.realestate.com.au as many are privately managed through real estate agents. Eligibility criteria apply but those on a disability support pension are generally eligible.


Rental Assistance

Centrelink provide rental assistance for those on a pension, applications can be made directly to Centrelink and is generally a fortnightly additional amount to the regular pension amount. The WA housing department can be found at https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/public-housing

 

 Conclusion

The synergy between the NDIS and the housing and community infrastructure system creates a harmonious environment where individuals with disabilities can access safe, affordable housing and contribute to their communities. By understanding the distinct roles and responsibilities of each entity, individuals like Joss can secure their ideal living arrangements and enjoy the support they need to flourish independently. This collaboration marks a significant stride towards an inclusive society that values accessibility, equal opportunity, and empowerment for everyone, regardless of their abilities. Clients should be assisted to explore all housing options.


How Your NDIS Experts Can Help

Our staff can assist you with supports ask Your NDIS Experts today. We operate Australia-wide, 7-days a week, as we know disability doesn't just happen during office hours. We offer tele-health services, fly or drive in for intensive support or groups of clients and limited face-to-face supports in the Peel Region Western Australia.

 

We have staff available now in the following areas:

  • Behavioural supports

  • Individualised programs

  • Therapy, assessments and recommendations

  • Psychosocial recovery coaching

  • Case management, for when it's complicated

  • Skill development and training, decision-making and budgeting

  • Parent / carer training

  • General and employment related counselling

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