Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice

This research explores the complex interaction between the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) program and the social housing sector, including participants’ experience of accessing these homes and the extent to which the homes are equipped with assistive technology. The SDA program, which...

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Main Authors: Crowe, Adam, James, Amity, Peaty, Gwyneth, Malbon, Eleanor, Ellis, Katie
Format: Report
Language:English
Published: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ahuri.edu.au/
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/95767
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author Crowe, Adam
James, Amity
Peaty, Gwyneth
Malbon, Eleanor
Ellis, Katie
author_facet Crowe, Adam
James, Amity
Peaty, Gwyneth
Malbon, Eleanor
Ellis, Katie
author_sort Crowe, Adam
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This research explores the complex interaction between the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) program and the social housing sector, including participants’ experience of accessing these homes and the extent to which the homes are equipped with assistive technology. The SDA program, which delivers specialist housing support for Australians with extreme functional impairment or very high needs, is designed to attract private market investment; however, some Community Housing Providers are pausing their involvement as they are shouldering the financial risk associated with providing Specialist Disability Accommodation housing. The SDA program is designed to give National Disability Insurance Scheme participants a level of choice in their housing options, balanced against the criteria used by the National Disability Insurance Agency to make their funding decisions. Because of the complexity of the program and the subjective nature of decisions there is an apparent lack of transparency and consistency in SDA funding determinations, which has undermined both participants’ outcomes and confidence in funding developments by housing providers. For Community Housing Providers, delivering appropriate housing solutions becomes a challenge, increasing vacancy risks and ultimately affecting the delivery of future SDA dwellings. Community Housing Providers have unique skills to offer through their extensive knowledge of the SDA program, as well as the expertise to produce good housing outcomes for tenants with complex needs. Their involvement ranges from supporting private investment through educating investors to providing compliance with the SDA program as a registered provider, to identifying tenants and providing tenancy management and support once a development is operational. Policy development should further recognise the pivotal role of Community Housing Providers in the SDA program, particularly in regard to education, support, specialist tenancy management and the true cost of delivering and operating SDA.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-957672024-08-28T02:40:41Z Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice Crowe, Adam James, Amity Peaty, Gwyneth Malbon, Eleanor Ellis, Katie Disability housing social housing sector people with disability assistive technology This research explores the complex interaction between the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) program and the social housing sector, including participants’ experience of accessing these homes and the extent to which the homes are equipped with assistive technology. The SDA program, which delivers specialist housing support for Australians with extreme functional impairment or very high needs, is designed to attract private market investment; however, some Community Housing Providers are pausing their involvement as they are shouldering the financial risk associated with providing Specialist Disability Accommodation housing. The SDA program is designed to give National Disability Insurance Scheme participants a level of choice in their housing options, balanced against the criteria used by the National Disability Insurance Agency to make their funding decisions. Because of the complexity of the program and the subjective nature of decisions there is an apparent lack of transparency and consistency in SDA funding determinations, which has undermined both participants’ outcomes and confidence in funding developments by housing providers. For Community Housing Providers, delivering appropriate housing solutions becomes a challenge, increasing vacancy risks and ultimately affecting the delivery of future SDA dwellings. Community Housing Providers have unique skills to offer through their extensive knowledge of the SDA program, as well as the expertise to produce good housing outcomes for tenants with complex needs. Their involvement ranges from supporting private investment through educating investors to providing compliance with the SDA program as a registered provider, to identifying tenants and providing tenancy management and support once a development is operational. Policy development should further recognise the pivotal role of Community Housing Providers in the SDA program, particularly in regard to education, support, specialist tenancy management and the true cost of delivering and operating SDA. 2024 Report http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/95767 10.18408/ahuri8129801 English https://www.ahuri.edu.au/ Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute unknown
spellingShingle Disability housing
social housing sector
people with disability
assistive technology
Crowe, Adam
James, Amity
Peaty, Gwyneth
Malbon, Eleanor
Ellis, Katie
Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice
title Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice
title_full Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice
title_fullStr Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice
title_full_unstemmed Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice
title_short Specialist Disability Accommodation in the social housing sector: Policy and practice
title_sort specialist disability accommodation in the social housing sector: policy and practice
topic Disability housing
social housing sector
people with disability
assistive technology
url https://www.ahuri.edu.au/
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/95767