If you are not sure where to even begin, you are not alone. Finding housing as a person with disability in Australia can feel like navigating a maze with no clear entrance. There are multiple pathways, each with different eligibility rules, different government bodies, and different waiting times. This guide walks you through five practical starting points for housing for people on disability, covering all the main options before narrowing to the ones most relevant to your situation.

People with disability in Australia can access housing through five main pathways: private rental, home ownership, social and community housing, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) home and living supports (including home modifications, Supported Independent Living, and Individualised Living Options), and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for those with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.

Understand Your Housing Pathways First

There is no single "disability housing" door to knock on in Australia. Most people end up using a combination of pathways, and the right starting point depends on your functional needs, your NDIS plan status, and what is available in your area.

Disability housing Australia covers a broad spectrum. At one end, many people with disability rent privately, sometimes with NDIS-funded modifications to make the property more accessible. At the other end, SDA is purpose-built, specialist housing, but it is only for a small proportion of NDIS participants. Nationally, around 28,000 people qualify for SDA, roughly 6% of all NDIS participants. It is not the default NDIS housing pathway.

Knowing which pathway applies to you determines who to talk to first and what evidence to gather. That is why this guide covers each pathway in the order most people encounter them.

Step 1: Assess Your Housing Needs and Support Requirements

Before starting any search, take stock of what you actually need from a home. This sounds obvious, but it is the step most people skip, and it shapes everything that follows.

Think through: physical access requirements (doorway widths, bathroom access, step-free entry, ceiling hoist compatibility), location priorities (proximity to family, medical services, public transport), and support requirements (what level of daily assistance is needed and how that might change over time).

Work with an occupational therapist (OT) early. An OT can formally assess functional needs and document exactly what housing features are required. This assessment becomes essential evidence for any NDIS application. An OT report that clearly describes your housing requirements carries significant weight with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

What an OT housing assessment typically covers

• Physical access needs (mobility, transfers, personal care)
• Assistive technology requirements (hoists, tracking systems, shower chairs)
• Fatigue and cognitive considerations that affect home layout
• Recommendations on dwelling type and key design features

For those already on the NDIS: check your current plan for any housing-related funding already included. For those not yet on the NDIS: be aware that the path from initial access request to an approved plan typically takes around 3 to 4 months. Starting early matters.

Step 2: Explore Social and Community Housing Options

Social housing and community housing are separate from the NDIS and available to people regardless of whether they have an NDIS plan.

Social housing is public housing managed by state government. Community housing is run by not-for-profit organisations and sometimes includes disability-specific properties. In Victoria, you apply via the Victorian Housing Register, administered by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. You can apply for social housing in Victoria directly through their website.

People with disability may qualify for priority access on the Victorian Housing Register if they require major home modifications or need independent living assistance. It is worth checking the specific priority categories with the Department.

We will not pretend this pathway is simple. Wait times for social housing in Melbourne can be significant, sometimes several years. That is a frustrating reality. The practical advice: apply early, well before it becomes urgent, and treat this as one part of a broader plan rather than the only option you are pursuing.

Step 3: Explore Private Rental and Accessible Housing Options

Most people with disability rent in the private market. Accessible properties exist, but finding them takes patience and knowing what to look for.

When searching, prioritise: level access at the entry, wide doorways (minimum 820mm for manual wheelchair users, 900mm or more for power wheelchair users), step-free bathroom, and proximity to public transport. Ask property managers directly about accessibility before inspecting. Many listings do not include accessibility details, so a phone call saves wasted trips.

The NDIS can fund home modifications to a private rental property to improve accessibility, provided the landlord gives consent. Grab rails, ramps, and bathroom modifications can all be covered. This is worth factoring in when assessing whether a property could work with some changes.

One honest limitation worth naming: accessible private rentals are genuinely harder to find in competitive rental markets, particularly in inner Melbourne. Building a shortlist across multiple suburbs gives you better options.

The Disability Gateway (disabilitygateway.gov.au) has housing resources that can point you to local housing support services across Australia.

Step 4: Find Out if You're Eligible for NDIS Housing Supports

The NDIS funds several types of housing-related support. What matters is understanding what each type covers and who qualifies. The NDIS home and living supports page explains what each type covers in detail.

Home modifications: The NDIS can fund modifications to make your current or rental home more accessible. Grab rails, ramps, and bathroom modifications are common examples. Available to NDIS participants with relevant functional needs documented in their plan.

Supported Independent Living (SIL): SIL (Supported Independent Living) is NDIS-funded support services to assist with daily tasks in your home. SIL is the people, the support workers, not the dwelling itself. It is funded separately from housing.

Individualised Living Options (ILO): ILO (Individualised Living Options) is a flexible package of supports allowing participants to choose their living arrangement and build a tailored support model around it. It is a relatively newer NDIS option worth raising with your planner if you want more flexibility in how your support is structured.

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA): SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) is purpose-built housing for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. It is not available to all NDIS participants. Strict eligibility criteria apply, and the NDIA makes all funding decisions. If you are unsure whether SDA or SIL applies to your situation, read our SDA vs SIL comparison guide.

The key action here: speak with your NDIS support coordinator or planner about which of these supports is relevant to your situation. They can help identify what evidence is needed and which pathway to pursue.

Step 5: If SDA May Be Relevant, Here's Where to Start

If the OT assessment and NDIS planning process suggest SDA may be relevant, here is how the SDA-specific search begins.

Get SDA funding included in your NDIS plan first. Without SDA funding as a line item in your plan, you cannot apply for an SDA tenancy. This is a prerequisite, not a formality. The NDIA assesses SDA funding requests, and the assessment process can take an additional 4 to 8 weeks on top of standard plan approval timelines. Understanding the SDA eligibility criteria before starting that search will help you prepare the right evidence.

Once SDA funding is in your plan, you can use the NDIS SDA Finder to identify registered SDA providers operating in your preferred area and design category. One critical point: the SDA Finder shows registered providers by location, not specific vacancies. It does not list available properties. You must contact providers directly to ask about current availability and wait times.

Contact multiple providers simultaneously. Wait times vary by location, design category, and building type, so spreading your enquiries widely is practical, not excessive.

Location matters more than many people expect. Proximity to family, support workers, medical services, and community connections all affect long-term wellbeing. If you are Melbourne-based and ready to start the SDA property search, our How to Find SDA Housing in Melbourne guide covers the process in detail.

Where to Go From Here

The housing search for people with disability takes time. That is not a failure of the system or of your planning. It is the reality of navigating multiple pathways, each with their own timelines and evidence requirements.

To summarise the five starting points: assess your needs with an OT, apply for social housing early (the wait lists are real), search private rental with a clear access checklist, understand which NDIS housing supports apply to you, and if SDA is relevant, start by getting SDA funding in your plan.

If you are trying to work out whether SDA might be the right fit for your family member, we are happy to answer questions. Have a look at our available SDA homes or get in touch directly.

Call us on (03) 9999 7418 or email admin@paramounthomes.com.au. We are here to help you understand your options, whether or not SDA turns out to be the right path.