Choosing your home

The Summer Foundation's My Housing Preferences Tool is a workbook you can use to help you to think about the type of house that might best meet your needs.

Mainstream housing

Mainstream housing is housing that anyone can live in.

You do not have to have a disability to live in mainstream housing so some houses may not meet your access needs.

You can use your NDIS funding to make your housing more accessible.

Mainstream housing options can include:

• Private rental is housing that is available to rent in the private rental market. Private rental housing can include houses, units and apartments.
• Public housing is a long-term form of social housing rental for people who are assessed to need it most. This can include people who have experienced homelessness, family violence of have additional support needs.
• Community housing is a form of long-term, affordable rental housing which is managed by not-for-profit organisations. Community housing is for people who have very low incomes or have additional needs.
• Home ownership is a home you already own or have borrowed money from the bank to buy.
• Home sharing is when you share a home with other people. Each person in the home will have their own space but share rooms such as the lounge room, kitchen, laundry and bathroom.
• Shared equity is when you share the cost of buying you own home with a non-for profit organisation or the government. 

Accessible homes and supported living

• Moveable units can be moved and set up in the backyard of a carer, friend or relative. Moveable units can help people with a disability or older people live more independently.
• Supported accommodation is housing that comes with support for people a high level of care needs. Supported housing is for people with a disability or older people who are unable to live independently.
• Supported residential services (SRS) do not receive government funding. They are operated privately. Read more about supported residential services.

Specialist disability accommodation (SDA)

Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is for people who have very high physical support or safety needs. SDA provides funding for the actual home (bricks and mortar) that a person lives in such as a house or apartment that the NDIS has approved as being eligible for SDA payments.

The NDIS estimates that only 6% of participants will qualify for SDA. This means that most people with a disability will need to find mainstream housing and get funding for support from the NDIS.

Before the NDIS, funding for SDA and supported independent living (SIL) were paid together. Under the NDIS, funding for your home and the supports you need have been separated. This means you can choose who you would like to provide your supports.

Read more about the difference between SDA and SIL funding.

The Summer Foundation have developed some resources for people who are eligible for SDA:

1. The pathway to SDA
2. SDA payments guide