Specialised Disability Accommodation (SDA)
SDA refers to accessible and affordable accommodation designed for people who require specialist housing solutions, including to assist with the delivery of supports that cater for their extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
MyCare Keeper source and facilitate modern SDA for eligible NDIS participants. We have a network of innovative homes, group homes, villas, townhouses, and apartments, specially made for the independent living of people with disabilities.
All MyCare Keeper dwellings have been designed to meet all necessary levels of accessibility and design standards, such as the NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standards 2020 and the Liveable Housing Australia Platinum or Silver Standard as a minimum.
Our dwellings are uniquely designed and tailored to meet your accessibility and lifestyle needs, including Fully Accessible, High Physical Support, Robust and Improved Liveability conditions.
We aim to ensure people with disabilities live independently with as much ease and comfort as possible.
The process of getting SDA funding into your NDIS plan can be complicated and take a long time, but if your needs are specialised and SDA would have a positive outcome for your life, it is certainly worth applying for SDA funding.
We are sure that we can find a place that suits your lifestyle and looks after your needs.
Are you eligible for SDA?
People who do need SDA have extremely high needs. They need to live in very specialised homes, usually with high levels of person-to-person support.
To be eligible for SDA funding, you will need to satisfy the following three questions:
- do you have an ‘extreme functional impairment’? or ‘very high support needs’?
- do you have an SDA needs requirement?
- is SDA reasonable and necessary for you?
You can learn more about SDA eligibility requirements by visiting:
How does it work?
While the application can be time consuming, here are the six basic steps:
1. Your NDIS housing goals must be included in your NDIS Plan
The first step when applying for SDA funding is to ensure that your housing goals are included in your NDIS plan, i.e. your goal could be to seek housing. If this goal has not been identified in your current NDIS plan, then a review of your NDIS plan should be requested to ensure your housing goals are included as a primary goal. You will need to show how SDA can help you pursue your goals better than other options.
2. Obtain funding from the NDIS to cover the cost of your SDA application
It is best to get help from an occupational therapist, support coordinator, and other allied health professionals (specifically experienced in SDA applications). They will need to undertake assessments and prepare your Housing Plan and SDA application. If your existing NDIS plan does not include a budget to cover the cost of your SDA application, then you will need to request a plan review to allow for funding of appropriate report writing.
3. Think about your housing preferences, your current situation, support network and where you would like to be
Do you need to be closer to work? Do you need to be closer to those that mean something to you?
Do you need more space outside? Would you like to live with others (or alone)?
Who is important in your life and how will moving affect this relationship?
4. Developing your Housing Plan and SDA application
Your Housing Plan will evidence that your need for SDA housing is reasonable and necessary. It will canvass your housing history, current housing situation, support arrangements and requirements, your goals and interests, your extreme functional impairment and/or high support needs, and the impact of your current living arrangements on your long-term housing support needs. Your Housing Plan should cover the building type, housing design category, location, equipment and assistive technology required for your SDA dwelling. It must indicate that SDA represents better value for money, and how it will better assist you to pursue your goals, objectives, and aspirations, and maximise your independence, and social and economic participation.
5. Submit your SDA summary and evidence
Prepare your evidence in the correct way and it will help your application, making it easier to gain approval. It may also be helpful to supplement your Housing Plan with a participant housing statement and others supporting documents such as Residential Aged Care (RAC) Care Plans, and incident and police reports. Tell your story as a part of the plan, explain why and how the SDA can improve your life and what it will mean to you.
6. The NDIS will review your Housing Plan and supporting evidence.
The NDIS will decide if you are eligible for SDA funding. If you are approved, the NDIS will seek information from your Housing Plan to determine which housing design category is most suitable for your needs and lifestyle, i.e. Fully Accessible, High Physical Support, Robust or Improved Liveability.
Once SDA is included in your NDIS plan, you can then begin your journey to finding your new home.
Need Help with your NDIS Application?
One of our support workers can help you complete and submit your NDIS Application.
How we can help
At MyCare Keeper we have specialists that are available to take you through an SDA application process. While we cannot guarantee that any application will be a success, our experience in completing the application means that you have a great head start on getting approval.
If you are unsure of whether you qualify for SDA funding or if have any questions regarding our available dwellings, we are always happy to have a chat. Get in touch on 1300 715 815, or alternatively, you can complete our contact form or email your enquiry directly to info@mycarekeeper.com.
