Individualised Living Arrangements Options

Finding suitable housing will be different for everyone depending on their circumstances. These circumstances will probably also change over time. Here are just a few reasons why you might want to change where you live:

• It is time to move out of your parents’ home​
• Your housing is putting you and/or your carers at risk​
• You are living with ageing parents​
• You are living in a group home and want to leave​
• You might be under 65 years old and living in residential aged care, or stuck in hospital with no access to appropriate housing
• Family/relationship breakdown
• Poor design restricts your activities
• You live in a dangerous property in need of repairs
• Mortgage or rent stress
• Not enough supports available in the local area
• Want to be closer to family, friends, or work
• Domestic violence

 

When choosing a place to live there are mainstream options such owning or renting a private property or you can seek community housing through the federal and state governments.

 

Community housing supports include:

• Affordable housing through Housing SA, including public housing​, and Housing SA - Aboriginal community housing. More information on Housing SA can be found here.
• Affordable rental properties, which are being created through the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS)​. More information on NRAS can be found here.
• Short-term emergency/crisis housing – for example through the Salvation Army’s Red Shield housing. More information on Red Shield can be found here.

 

Each of these community housing options have their own application processes. To learn more, visit: https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing

 

NDIS Funding

If finding or building a vision of your home is listed as one of your NDIS goals, the NDIS may give you funds to search for suitable accommodation. While a support coordinator can assist you in your search, an allied health practitioner can formally assess potential houses for you.

 

The NDIS also fund “reasonable and necessary” aspects of housing. In the mainstream housing market (renting and owning) this includes:

• adding assistive technology
• home modifications

 

If people have lost or can’t find appropriate housing the NDIS may also fund:

• Medium term accommodation, up to 90 days. This includes accommodation fees only (not support) while waiting for confirmed long term accommodation.​
• Specialist Disability Accommodation, which is housing designed for participants with complex or high support needs

 

Another type of accommodation that the NDIS may fund, if listed as a goal in your plan, is:

• Short term accommodation for up to 14 days for respite or skill building

 

We will learn more about all these types of funding supports in section 3 of this workshop - Housing: Home Modifications and Specialist Disability Accommodation​.