SDA vs SIL Explained
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and Supported Independent Living (SIL) often come up together in NDIS home and living conversations, and the acronyms are easy to mix up.
The difference between SDA and SIL comes down to this: SDA is the home, and SIL is the support inside it. This guide explains who funds what, how eligibility differs and what to do next.
For plan-specific advice, talk to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or a Support Coordinator.
Key takeaways
SDA is the home: housing for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, funded from the capital supports budget.
SIL is the support: workers who help with, or supervise, daily tasks at home, 24/7, usually funded from the core supports budget.
The NDIA assesses each one separately, against different criteria.
Many people in SDA also have SIL, but either can exist without the other.
Participants pay a rent contribution in SDA, plus their own day-to-day living costs.
SDA vs SIL: the short answer
SDA is the home (capital funding)
Specialist Disability Accommodation is housing designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA housing can include features such as wider doorways, wheelchair-accessible kitchens, ceiling hoists or button-operated doors.
SDA funding sits in the capital supports budget, under the home modifications and SDA category. Capital funding is stated in the plan, so it can only be used for SDA.
The NDIA doesn't build or own SDA. Owners and investors fund the homes, and registered SDA providers enrol them with the NDIA.
An SDA home can be an apartment; a villa, duplex or townhouse; a house for up to 3 residents; or a group home for 4 or 5.
SIL is the support (core funding)
Supported Independent Living funds support workers who help with, or supervise, daily tasks at home, 24/7, so participants can live as independently as possible.
SIL is usually funded in the core supports budget, under assistance with daily life. It pays a registered SIL provider for support workers' time, not for the home.
Who funds what
When a participant has both supports, the costs are split three ways:
The home: SDA funding in the plan is paid to the SDA provider.
The support: SIL funding in the plan is paid to the SIL provider for support workers.
Rent and living costs: the participant pays a reasonable rent contribution to the SDA provider, plus their own food, utilities and other everyday costs.
The rent contribution is set out in a service or tenancy agreement, and the NDIS sets a maximum reasonable rent contribution that generally caps what an SDA provider can charge.
Rent, groceries and household bills aren't NDIS supports, so neither SDA nor SIL funding can pay for them.
Eligibility: how SDA and SIL differ
The NDIA assesses SDA and SIL separately, so a participant can be eligible for one and not the other.
SDA eligibility
SDA is only for participants who meet strict criteria. The NDIA checks whether the person has an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, has an SDA needs requirement, and whether SDA meets the NDIS funding criteria for them.
Evidence usually comes from a suitably qualified professional, often an occupational therapist. It should show why SDA is more suitable and cost-effective than alternatives such as home modifications, assistive technology or more person-to-person support.
The NDIS notes that most participants don't need to live in a specialised home.
SIL eligibility
SIL is for adults with higher support needs. The NDIS describes it as suiting someone who needs a support worker with them 24 hours a day, including overnight, with hands-on help for at least 8 of those hours.
It isn't SIL if someone needs only a few hours of support a day or week, or chooses and manages their own support workers.
The 4 SDA design categories
New SDA homes are built to one of four design categories in the NDIS SDA Design Standard:
Improved Liveability: a reasonable level of physical access, plus design features that make daily life easier for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment.
Fully Accessible: designed for people with significant physical impairment, including many wheelchair users, with a high level of physical access.
Robust: very resilient design and materials that reduce repairs and help keep residents and others safe, with complex behaviour support needs in mind.
High Physical Support: for people with significant physical impairment who need very high levels of support, with a high level of physical access plus features like structural provision for ceiling hoists and emergency power.
If SDA is approved, the plan describes the SDA that's funded. The home a participant chooses usually needs to match it, including the building type and location.
Using SDA and SIL together
Many participants who live in SDA also have SIL funding for their in-home support. The SDA provider looks after the home, while the SIL provider delivers day-to-day support.
Participants can choose their SIL provider, which can be the SDA provider or a different organisation. Some providers, like Lofty Care Services, are registered for both.
If one provider delivers both, the NDIS Practice Standards require separate service agreements, and the participant's housing rights must be upheld whatever they decide about their other supports.
Having one without the other
SDA without SIL: SDA doesn't include any supports. Someone in SDA might use other in-home supports in their plan instead, depending on their needs.
SIL without SDA: SIL isn't tied to SDA. It can be delivered in other housing, such as a shared rental or social housing, if the arrangement meets the NDIS rules for SIL.
SDA vs SIL at a glance
What it is: SDA is the home. SIL is the support in the home.
NDIS budget: SDA is capital funding. SIL is usually core funding.
Who is paid: SDA funding goes to the SDA provider. SIL funding goes to the SIL provider.
Who it's for: SDA is for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SIL is for adults who need help or supervision at home 24/7.
What participants pay: a reasonable rent contribution in SDA, plus day-to-day costs such as food and bills.
Provider rules: SDA providers must be registered and enrol each home with the NDIA. SIL providers must register with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
Agreements: SDA needs a written service agreement. The NDIS encourages one for SIL too.
One without the other: possible both ways.
Next steps
Talk about home and living goals with the participant's LAC, Support Coordinator or the NDIA.
Ask treating professionals, such as an occupational therapist, for recent evidence of daily support and housing needs.
Lodge the NDIA's home and living supporting evidence form with a request to change the plan, or before a plan reassessment.
If SDA is approved, search the NDIA's SDA Finder and contact registered SDA providers directly, as not every option is listed.
If SIL is approved, choose a registered SIL provider and put written agreements in place before moving in.
New to SIL? Read What is Supported Independent Living?
Lofty Care Services is a registered NDIS provider approved for both SDA and SIL. Based in Georges Hall, our mobile team supports participants across Canterbury-Bankstown, South-West and Western Sydney and Greater Sydney.
Learn more about SDA accommodation in Sydney and Supported Independent Living in Sydney, or ask us about current options. Support Coordinators, occupational therapists and hospital teams can make a referral online.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone live in SDA without having SIL?
Yes. SDA funds the home only and doesn't include any supports. Some people in SDA have SIL, while others use different in-home supports, depending on what's in their plan.
Are SDA and SIL funded from the same budget?
No. SDA is funded from the capital supports budget, under home modifications and SDA. SIL is usually funded from the core supports budget, under assistance with daily life.
Is SDA the same as a group home?
Not always. A group home for 4 or 5 residents is one SDA building type, but SDA can also be an apartment, a villa, duplex or townhouse, or a house for up to 3 residents. Every SDA home must be enrolled with the NDIA.
What are the 4 SDA design categories?
The four categories are Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, Robust and High Physical Support. Each has design features for different support needs.
What evidence does the NDIA need for SDA?
The NDIA needs evidence of extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, an SDA needs requirement, and that SDA meets the funding criteria. This usually comes from a suitably qualified professional, often an occupational therapist.
Talk to Lofty Care Services: call 0431 714 119 or enquire online.
General information only, not advice about an individual NDIS plan. Checked against NDIS sources in November 2026.
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