Your Path to SDA Funding

To live in an SDA home with disability support, you must find an appropriate SDA house and secure Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding within your NDIS plan. Are you uncertain whether you qualify for SDA funding, or whether it is the right thing for you?

In this article, We will go over how SDA funding operates, as well as how you can begin searching for the right house.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need any assistance along the way to securing funding or housing. We are happy to assist you!

What is Specialist Disability Accommodation funding?

A Specialist Disability Accommodation funded home is one where the bricks and mortar are paid for you to live in. The system aims to help people live as independently as possible, provided that they have an extreme functional impairment or high support needs. SDA allows you to live on your own or with non-NDIS participants, giving you more freedom in choosing where to live.

SDA funding pays for a large part of the rent on your SDA home but you are also required to pay extra from your Disability Support Pension as well as your Government rental assistance payment. It does not cover the care and support you receive in your home.

SDA offers four types of design solutions to meet the needs of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, ranging from improved Liveability to High Physical Support. These are termed Design Categories, and include: 

Improved Liveability Design

These residences are constructed for individuals with learning, cognitive, and sensory issues. They are designed to provide visual contrast, as well as tactile path markers and door textures, to assist residents with visual and other impairments navigate the space more easily.

Robust Design

This type of housing is very durable, and it is designed to ensure that people who may exhibit behaviour inappropriately or who might put themselves, their caretaker or others at risk are kept safe.

In addition to conventional building standards, safety windows, doors, and external areas are required, as are high-impact wall linings, fittings and fixtures such as blinds and door handles, soundproofing, and laminated glass.

Fully Accessible Design

A fully accessible house with all the amenities provides a high level of physical assistance, and it is geared toward people with severe physical limitations. Some of the few support features that may be provided are wheelchair-accessible paths and wheelchair-accessible kitchens, bathrooms and appliances.

High Physical Support Design 

A high physical support residence includes all the specifications in the Fully Accessible Design category, with a few extra enhancements such as structural supports for ceiling hoists and doors with wide enough entrances to all rooms. In addition to that, there is assistive technology can be used to control room temperature, turn on the TV, and open doors in addition to offering two-hour emergency power backup. 

At this point, The SDA application process will determine which type of house is best suited to your support requirements. Then, we can help you locate the perfect house for all your requirements.

Are You Eligible For SDA Funding? 

The NDIS provides funding for a small proportion of participants with extremely high support needs, provided they meet certain criteria. NDIS stated that SDA is only available to individuals who have “extreme functional impairment and/or very high support needs”, but what does this mean?

There is no clear-cut definition of what constitutes very high support needs, but if any of the following applies to you, you may be eligible for SDA funding: 

• Your actions can either harm you or others.
• Your informal support system can't accommodate your needs.
• If you can demonstrate that SDA can help you reach your NDIS objectives, develop your abilities, and boost your long-term success.
• You've looked into other options, such as house adjustments, and discovered that they weren't suitable.

Briefly, your request for SDA funding should be reasonably and urgently necessary to boost your independence, quality of life, and well-being.

Your occupational therapy assessment will generally show how your NDIS housing goals are connected to maintaining good health, as well as how living in a SDA home will help you build your capacity and independence, thus reducing your reliance on supports.

How Can I Get SDA Funding?

The path to SDA funding is complicated. However, there are some things you can do to boost your chances. Your occupational therapist will thoroughly assess you to identify your barriers and outline why SDA funding is required. This Housing Assessment report will help the NDIA decide whether you are eligible for SDA funding and whether your needs would be best met by an SDA home. 

In addition to Housing Assessment Report from the occupational therapist, it is also worthwhile to include other supplementary supporting papers like: 

1. A report of support from your doctor, physiotherapist, speech pathologist, or any other allied health professional.
2. Another report by your Support Coordinator or Occupational Therapist summarizing your current living circumstances, your needs, and your goals. The features of your desired residence need to be presented in order to establish the feasibility of funding you for SDA.

Once you've gathered all the required documents, you can contact the NDIA. Your Support Coordinator can assist you with the application process. Contact us after you have applied for NDIA SDA funding, and we can let you know if any suitable homes are or will be available for you once your funding is approved. It's crucial to find the right fit SDA house for you. One of the things to take into account is an appropriate location for you. Consider whether it is near your family, friends, or work and whether the location suits your lifestyle.

In conclusion, no matter what you are looking for in a SDA home, we will work with you to find the right house for your needs, We are also here to answer any queries you may have along the way.

Contact us today!