How to Access SDA Funding in NSW
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) can open up safer, more independent living for people with very high support needs. But SDA funding has strict rules, and the process can feel confusing.
This guide covers SDA eligibility, the evidence the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) looks for, how SDA appears in an NDIS plan and how to move into an SDA home in NSW.
Key takeaways
SDA funding pays for the home itself, not support workers, rent contributions or living costs.
It's only for participants with an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs who meet the SDA rules.
Strong, recent evidence matters most, especially an occupational therapist's assessment.
An approved plan states the funded design category, building type and location.
Participants can choose different providers for the home and the support.
What is SDA funding?
SDA is housing designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA funding is paid to a registered SDA provider for the home. It's the only NDIS funding that pays for housing itself.
SDA doesn't include the supports inside the home. Many residents also have Supported Independent Living (SIL) or other daily supports, funded separately.
To see how the home and the support fit together, read SDA vs SIL explained or our page on Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in Sydney.
Who is eligible for SDA funding?
SDA eligibility is set by the NDIS (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020. In plain English, the NDIA checks three things.
1. Extreme functional impairment or very high support needs
Extreme functional impairment means extremely reduced capacity for mobility, self-care or self-management, with a very high need for person-to-person support even with assistive technology, equipment or home modifications.
Very high support needs means needing person-to-person support that's immediately available or constant for a significant part of the day, and either informal supports are limited or SDA would reduce risks to the participant or others. Some long-term SDA residents also meet this test.
2. The SDA needs requirement
SDA plus other supports must do better than other supports alone, for example by better helping the participant pursue their goals and by representing better value for money.
3. The NDIS funding criteria
Like every NDIS support, SDA must be reasonable and necessary.
How to get SDA funding
Gather strong evidence
The NDIA can't include home and living supports in a plan without the correct evidence, which should explain:
daily support and housing needs
functional capacity (what the participant can and can't do because of their disability) and its impact on daily life and housing
other home and living options explored, and why they don't meet disability-related needs.
The SDA assessment
An "SDA assessment" usually means an occupational therapist's (OT's) functional capacity and housing assessment. It describes how the participant manages daily tasks, the support they need, and which housing features they need and why. Recent reports from specialists, therapists and support workers help too.
Set out housing goals
Write down the participant's home and living goals (where they'd like to live, who with and what matters to them) and their informal supports, such as family. The evidence should link these goals to their needs.
Ask the NDIA
Talk to your my NDIS contact, such as a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or NDIA planner, about home and living supports and which request to use.
The NDIA's Supporting evidence form – home and living goes in with a request to change the plan, not on its own. If needs have changed significantly, the participant can ask for a plan reassessment. Otherwise, raise SDA before the scheduled reassessment.
What changed in 2024–2026
3 October 2024: NDIS law changes introduced lists of "NDIS supports". SDA is on the list.
27 August 2026: only the participant, their plan nominee or child representative can now ask for an unscheduled plan reassessment, and providers can't ask for them. Evidence should usually be dated within 4 months of the request.
1 April 2027: the delayed start date for new framework plans, with budgets informed by a support needs assessment. The SDA Rules 2020 still set the eligibility test.
SDA in your NDIS plan
SDA sits in the Capital supports part of a plan. It's a stated support, so it can only be used for SDA as described in the plan.
An approved plan states the design category, building type and location the participant is funded for. Once a home is chosen, the SDA provider must also be recorded in the plan as a "my provider" so it can be paid.
The four design categories
The SDA Design Standard sets out four design categories:
Improved Liveability: better physical access, plus features for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment.
Fully Accessible: a high level of physical access for people with significant physical impairment.
Robust: very strong, durable homes that reduce risk and the need for repairs, which may suit people with complex behaviours.
High Physical Support: high physical access plus features such as provision for ceiling hoists and emergency power, for people with very high support needs.
Building types
SDA building types are apartments; villas, duplexes and townhouses; houses; and group homes (4 or 5 residents).
Finding and moving into an SDA home
SDA must be delivered in a home enrolled with the NDIA by a provider registered for SDA with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The home must match the design category, building type and location in the plan.
To find a home, search the NDIA's SDA Finder (not every vacancy is listed), contact registered SDA providers, or ask your Support Coordinator, if you have one.
Before moving in, visit the home, meet potential housemates and read the agreements carefully. The rent contribution can't exceed the maximum reasonable rent contribution in the NDIS SDA pricing arrangements, and any tenancy agreement must meet NSW tenancy law.
SDA providers, SIL providers and choice
The SDA provider provides the home. Support providers, such as a SIL provider, deliver the support inside it. They can be different organisations, and the participant chooses.
If one provider delivers both, the NDIS requires separate agreements, and housing rights can't depend on the choice of support provider. Lofty Care Services is registered for both SDA and SIL, so we can talk with you about either or both. Ask us about current SDA options in Sydney.
Timeframes, reviews and appeals
Timeframes depend on the evidence, the NDIA's decision and finding a suitable home. A participant can keep using their current plan while the NDIA decides.
If you disagree with a decision, ask for an internal review within 3 months of receiving it. After that, you can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal, generally within 28 days of the review decision. A disability advocate can help.
Your SDA funding checklist
Write down home and living goals, informal supports and options already explored.
Talk to your my NDIS contact or Support Coordinator about SDA.
Get an OT functional capacity and housing assessment, plus other recent reports.
Lodge the right request with the Supporting evidence form – home and living.
Check the plan's design category, building type and location.
Search the SDA Finder, contact registered SDA providers and read every agreement before signing.
Check the SDA provider is recorded in the plan, then arrange daily supports.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for SDA funding?
SDA funding is for NDIS participants with an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs who also meet the SDA needs requirement and the NDIS funding criteria. The NDIA decides based on the evidence provided.
Does SDA funding cover rent?
No. SDA funding is paid to the SDA provider for the home itself. Residents pay a reasonable rent contribution, capped under NDIS rules, plus everyday costs such as food and electricity.
What is an SDA assessment?
It usually means an occupational therapist's report on a participant's functional capacity, support needs and housing needs, with recommendations about suitable SDA. It's different from certifying a building against the SDA Design Standard.
Can a provider ask the NDIA for SDA on a participant's behalf?
Not through a plan reassessment. Since 27 August 2026, only the participant, their plan nominee or child representative can ask for an unscheduled plan reassessment. Providers and allied health professionals can still supply supporting reports.
Can the SDA provider also be the SIL provider?
Yes, if the participant chooses. The NDIS requires separate agreements, and housing rights can't depend on the choice of support provider. Participants can also choose a different SIL provider.
Talk to Lofty Care Services: call 0431 714 119 or enquire online.
Based in Georges Hall, our mobile team supports participants across Sydney. Support Coordinators, OTs and hospital teams can also make a referral.
This article is general information, not advice about an individual NDIS plan. Checked against NDIS sources in November 2026.
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