What supported accommodation means
People use supported accommodation, group home and disability housing to describe the same idea: a home where you live with support available for most or all of the day. The NDIS Commission describes supported accommodation as housing options that give participants a high level of support.
The NDIS does not fund supported accommodation as a single item. It funds the parts separately, which gives you more choice but can make it confusing.
The two parts: support and housing
- Support: usually Supported Independent Living (SIL), help and supervision with daily tasks at home, funded in your plan and delivered by a SIL provider
- Housing: either Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), specially designed homes funded in your plan for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, or ordinary housing such as a private or social rental
- Your own costs: you pay rent, or a reasonable rent contribution in SDA, plus food, bills and personal costs
Group homes
A group home is a shared house where several people with disability live together with rostered support workers. Many were built as state run disability housing before the NDIS. In SDA, a group home is a building type with 4 or 5 bedrooms.
Group homes can work well, especially with housemates you get on with and a stable staff team. They also give residents less control over who they live with and who supports them, which is why it pays to look carefully before you move.
Other options to consider
- Individualised Living Options (ILO): support designed around how you want to live, for example with a host family or housemate
- Living in your own home with support from workers you choose, funded as assistance with daily life
- Short Term Accommodation, for respite, and Medium Term Accommodation, while you wait for a long term home
Safety and quality: what changed
The NDIS Commission's own motion inquiry into supported accommodation, focused on group homes, found a need for specific regulation of group home settings, more engagement with residents about choice and control, and better links with health services. It also found that the way SIL and SDA arrangements interact can make it hard for residents to change their living arrangements.
Since 1 July 2026, SIL providers must be registered with the Commission under registration group 0138 and meet new SIL Practice Standards, including standards on supported decision making, safeguarding and agreements about tenancy, housing and support arrangements. There are no changes to registration requirements for SDA providers.
Questions to ask before you move
- Is the SIL provider registered, or did they apply by 1 October 2026?
- Is the housing provider separate from the support provider, and can I change support without moving?
- Can I meet the housemates and visit more than once?
- How are rosters, overnight support and individual time arranged?
- What will I pay each week for rent, food and bills?
- How are complaints handled, and who else can I talk to?
How to get supported accommodation
Talk to your support coordinator or local area coordinator, then ask the NDIA for home and living supports using the home and living supporting evidence form with evidence from allied health professionals. If SIL or SDA is approved, you can look for a home and a provider that suit you.