Specialist disability accommodation

Specialist disability accommodation (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 with SDA funding in their plan. SDA funding is paid directly to SDA providers to cover the building and maintenance costs. Participants pay a reasonable rent contribution and other day to day living costs such as electricity bills. 

SDA Rules

Most of the requirements and obligations for SDA are in the NDIS (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2021 (SDA Rules) .

The SDA Rules require all providers to be registered NDIS providers and for all dwellings to be enrolled with the NDIA. The SDA Rules outline dwelling enrolment requirements such as design categories, building types and other features that affect prices. 

SDA Design Standard

The SDA Design Standard outlines design requirements and gives providers the flexibility to respond to participant needs and preferences.  

Visit the SDA Design Standard page and SDA Operational Guideline for more information.

SDA pricing arrangements and price limits 

NDIS Pricing Arrangements for Specialist Disability Accommodation (formerly the SDA Price Guide) is a summary of all prices that apply to SDA. The SDA price calculator can help providers calculate the expected annual income of an SDA dwelling. 

Visit the SDA pricing and payments page for more information.

For information about the SDA funding principles and the development of SDA prices, see the SDA Provider and Investor Brief

SDA dwelling enrolment and vacancies

Providers must be registered through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to enrol an SDA dwelling. The NDIA has online systems for enrolling dwellings and notifying the NDIA of dwelling vacancies .

Current SDA vacancies are advertised for NDIS participants on the SDA Finder

Visit the SDA dwelling enrolment and vacancies page for more information.

SDA data

SDA demand data is updated regularly and includes information about the number of participants who:

  • are living in SDA
  • have SDA funding and are looking for suitable SDA
  • are seeking alternative SDA
  • have completed the SDA housing assessment and awaiting SDA funding in their plan.

Quarterly SDA reports  include additional data and insights about changes in SDA supply and the SDA-eligible participant cohort over time. 

Researchers, academics, government agencies and departments can submit a request for tailored NDIS data for a specific purpose. If you are interested in a tailored NDIS data set, please visit the Request data page.

This page current as of
21 June 2022
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