Your family member's Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding has been approved. The permanent home is confirmed. But there's a gap, maybe weeks, maybe longer, where they need somewhere safe and accessible to live right now. Or perhaps they're about to leave hospital and home modifications won't be ready for months.

Most families discover NDIS medium term accommodation at exactly the moment they need it most. We'd rather you know about it now.

This guide explains what Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) is, who can access it, what it covers, how to get it included in your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan, and how it connects to finding a permanent home.

What Is NDIS Medium Term Accommodation?

Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) is an NDIS-funded support that provides temporary housing for up to 90 days while your family member waits for their permanent home to become available. It bridges the gap between a hospital discharge, aged care facility, or temporary living situation and long-term housing. MTA is funded under Core Supports in your NDIS plan.

A few things families often don't realise until they're in the situation:

MTA covers the accommodation cost only, not daily support services. If your family member needs personal care or support workers during the MTA period, that funding comes from a separate part of their plan, through Supported Independent Living (SIL) or another support arrangement. The two need to run alongside each other.

MTA is also not a standalone support. The NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) will only fund it when there's a confirmed pathway to permanent housing already in place. Vague plans or open-ended searches generally won't meet the threshold.

And one honest limitation that catches families off guard: if the NDIA considers it reasonable for your family member to stay with you or other family in the interim, MTA may not be approved. It's worth knowing this upfront, because families sometimes assume MTA is available as a matter of course.

For a broader overview of where MTA fits within the NDIS, see the NDIS's guidance on what home and living supports it funds.

Who Can Access NDIS Medium Term Accommodation?

Three criteria need to be in place before the NDIA will approve MTA funding.

First, your family member must be a current NDIS participant with an active plan. MTA cannot be arranged outside an existing plan.

Second, there must be a confirmed long-term home becoming available. This is the part that requires evidence. It might be SDA funding approved with a specific property confirmed, home modifications with a documented completion timeline, or a permanent rental that's secured and ready within 90 days. The NDIA needs to see that permanent housing is genuinely on the way, not just being searched for.

Third, the need for temporary housing must be outside your family member's control. They can't remain in their current situation due to disability-related circumstances, and it's not reasonable for them to stay with family or friends in the meantime.

Common scenarios where MTA may be approved:

• Waiting for an SDA property to become available after SDA funding has been confirmed
• Hospital discharge when home modifications are not yet complete
• Younger participants transitioning out of aged care while permanent housing is being arranged
• Moving between SDA properties when the current arrangement has ended and the next isn't ready

Eligibility decisions are made by the NDIA. For the NDIA's own criteria and how decisions are assessed, refer to the NDIS operational guideline for medium term accommodation.

What Does MTA Funding Cover (and What It Doesn't)?

The gap between what families expect MTA to cover and what it actually covers is one of the most common sources of frustration. Being clear about this upfront matters.

What MTA covers: The accommodation cost itself, essentially the rent equivalent for the temporary housing your family member stays in during the bridging period.

What MTA does not cover:

• Daily living costs: food, utilities, internet
• Personal care and support worker costs (these must come from SIL or other Core Supports funding separately)
• Bond or upfront payments
• Transport

The 90-day duration applies in most cases. Extensions can be granted in limited circumstances where documented delays in the permanent housing pathway are outside your family member's control. Extensions are not automatic and require evidence.

The practical implication: before your family member moves into MTA housing, you need to confirm that their SIL funding or other support arrangements are active and in place. MTA provides a roof, not a full support package.

This isn't a criticism of the system. It's just how it works, and knowing it in advance means you're not scrambling on day one.

MTA vs STA: Understanding the Difference

Short Term Accommodation (STA) and MTA are often confused because both are funded under Core Supports and both provide temporary housing. The differences matter.

Short Term Accommodation (STA): Funded under Core Supports, available for up to 14 days at a time. Crucially, STA includes both accommodation and support services bundled together. It's used for carer respite, supported holidays, or emergency short-term needs. STA does not require a confirmed permanent housing pathway before the NDIA approves it, which makes it more flexible to arrange.

Medium Term Accommodation (MTA): Up to 90 days, also funded under Core Supports, but accommodation only (not support services). Requires a confirmed permanent housing pathway before approval. More planning and evidence is involved.

The key practical difference: STA can often be arranged more quickly and with less documentation. MTA takes more preparation but bridges a longer gap.

There are situations where a family might use both. STA for a short carer respite while MTA covers the longer bridging period until permanent housing is ready. They serve different purposes and can work alongside each other.

For full detail on STA, including what it covers and how to access it, see our short-term accommodation and respite guide.

How to Get MTA Included in Your NDIS Plan

MTA is not automatically included in NDIS plans. It requires an explicit request with supporting evidence. Here's how the process typically works.

Step 1: Have a housing goal in your plan. MTA cannot be approved without a housing-related goal already stated in your family member's NDIS plan. If that goal isn't there, it needs to be added at a plan review before anything else can happen.

Step 2: Confirm the permanent housing pathway. This is usually the hardest step. Gather documentation showing that a definite long-term home is on its way: a letter confirming SDA funding and a property, a home modification timeline from the provider, or evidence of a secured permanent rental.

Step 3: Raise MTA at a planning meeting or request a plan review. If the need arises between scheduled reviews, an unscheduled review can be requested when circumstances change significantly. A housing transition often qualifies.

Step 4: Provide supporting documentation. Hospital discharge letters, SDA confirmation letters, and timelines from home modification providers are all examples of evidence the NDIA may need to see.

Step 5: Work with a support coordinator. MTA access almost always goes more smoothly with a support coordinator involved. They know what evidence the NDIA expects, how to frame the request, and how to follow up. If your family member doesn't yet have support coordination funded in their plan, that's worth raising too. Our support coordination guide explains what support coordinators do and how to access them.

For more detail on how housing supports including MTA sit within the three NDIS budget categories, see our guide to NDIS housing options and how they appear in your plan. And for the broader picture of how MTA connects to the full suite of NDIS home and living supports, that guide covers all six support types in one place.

MTA as a Bridge to Permanent SDA Housing

This is where MTA and SDA come together in a practical way, and it's something families in housing transition often find genuinely reassuring once they understand it.

When SDA funding is approved but no property is available yet, the wait can feel like limbo. Families sometimes feel pressure to accept the first available SDA property, even if the location or design category isn't quite right, simply because there's nowhere else to go.

MTA removes that pressure. With 90 days of funded temporary accommodation in place, your family member has a safe place to stay while you take the time to find the right permanent home. That's not nothing. That's the difference between a rushed decision and a considered one.

We've seen this pathway work in practice through our partnership with MediStays, who provide MTA and STA housing across Australia. MediStays Care Navigators work with families and support coordinators during the MTA period, and when the time comes, connect with permanent SDA providers like Paramount. The handover from temporary to permanent housing can be coordinated, giving families a clear path rather than an anxious gap.

Paramount provides SDA housing, not MTA. But if your family member's SDA funding is confirmed and you're currently in MTA or approaching a housing transition, we're happy to talk through what's available. Browse our SDA homes across Melbourne or get in touch directly and we'll talk through what might suit your family's situation.

Conclusion

Three things to take away from this guide.

MTA provides up to 90 days of NDIS-funded temporary accommodation while your family member waits for their permanent home. It requires a confirmed permanent housing pathway before the NDIA will approve it. And it covers the accommodation cost only, not daily supports, food, utilities, or transport.

MTA is one of the less widely known NDIS supports. Families who discover it at the right time often tell us it made a real difference to how their transition unfolded. We hope knowing about it now does the same for yours.

All eligibility and funding decisions are made by the NDIA. Speak with your family member's support coordinator or NDIS planner for advice specific to their situation.

If SDA funding is confirmed and you're looking for a permanent home in Melbourne, we're here to help. Call us on (03) 9999 7418 or email admin@paramounthomes.com.au. We're happy to talk through what's available and what might work for your family.