People with disability in Australia face significant housing challenges — inaccessible mainstream housing, lengthy SDA waiting lists, limited choices in Supported Independent Living, and risk of institutionalisation when appropriate housing is unavailable. The NDIS has transformed the disability housing landscape — introducing Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding and changing how Supported Independent Living (SIL) is funded. Yet significant gaps remain: SDA supply is insufficient, quality varies, and many people with disability remain inappropriately housed. Grant funding supports accessible housing development, home modification, housing advocacy, and the research that improves housing outcomes for Australians with disability.
The challenge
NDIS housing supports
SDA issues
People not in NDIS
Many people with disability are not NDIS participants and have no access to SDA or SIL — particularly:
- People with psychosocial disability not meeting NDIS threshold
- People with acquired disability not yet in NDIS
- People with disability in aged care
NDIS
Primary funder of SDA and SIL.
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
Administers NDIS — including housing support.
Housing Australia Future Fund
Some affordable housing for people with disability.
State housing departments
Some social housing for people with disability.
Summer Foundation
Major organisation focused on disability housing:
- Research on housing for people with disability
- Advocacy for improved NDIS housing
- Development of better housing models
HousingHub
NDIS housing marketplace and development.
National Disability Services (NDS)
Peak body — advocacy for disability housing policy.
Council on the Ageing (COTA)
Housing for older people with disability.
Uniting Care
Disability and housing services.
SDA development
Home modification
Accessible housing design
Transition from inappropriate settings
Housing advocacy
Supported Independent Living
Research
One of Australia's most significant disability housing failures is young people in aged care:
- Approximately 6,500 young Australians (under 65) live in aged care
- Most are there because no appropriate disability housing is available
- Aged care is not appropriate for young people — institutionalisation, limited independence
- Summer Foundation has advocated for decades for moving young people out of aged care
- NDIS funding enables transition — but housing must be available
Grant funding for housing specifically enabling young people to transition from aged care to appropriate disability housing addresses one of the clearest housing injustices.
Good location
SDA supply in good locations — near transport, employment, community — is the most critical gap. Applications developing SDA in inner suburbs or accessible community settings are more impactful than additional outer suburban group homes.
Universal design advocacy
Building accessible housing into mainstream housing from the start is far cheaper than retrofitting. Applications advocating for universal design standards — mandating basic accessibility in all new housing — have systemic impact.
Young people in aged care
Applications specifically enabling transition from aged care to appropriate disability housing address the most egregious disability housing failure. Summer Foundation has demonstrated this is achievable with appropriate housing and support.
Consumer choice
NDIS was built on consumer choice and control — but SDA and SIL markets often limit choice. Applications that improve consumer information, market diversity, and genuine choice are aligned with NDIS values.
Tahua's grants management platform supports disability housing funders and accessible housing organisations — with project tracking, housing outcome data, participant wellbeing measurement, and the reporting tools that help disability housing funders demonstrate their investment in appropriate, accessible housing for Australians with disability.