Someone mentioned "SDA" to you. Maybe it was a planner, a support coordinator, or another family who's been through this. Now you're here, trying to work out what an SDA house actually is and whether it could be right for your family member.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is genuinely complicated, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) adds another layer on top. We won't pretend otherwise. There's a lot of terminology, a lot of criteria, and a process that can feel opaque from the outside. What we can do is give you the full picture in one place, covering what SDA houses are, who qualifies, how funding works, what types exist, and how to actually find one in Melbourne. Each section links to a deeper guide where you can get the complete detail.

This guide is written for families. Whether your family member uses a wheelchair, has high support needs related to a cognitive or neurological condition, or has complex behavioural support requirements, the same NDIS framework applies. We'll explain how it works.

What Is an SDA House?

An SDA house is a purpose-built home with specialist design features for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA is a type of NDIS funding, not a service. The house itself is the product, funded so that eligible people with disability can live in a home designed specifically for their needs rather than a standard house adapted as an afterthought.

"Purpose-built" matters in practice. These homes include features like wider doorways for power wheelchairs, roll-in showers, ceiling hoists, and emergency backup power systems. They're built to meet strict NDIS design standards from the ground up, not retrofitted after construction.

One thing families often confuse: SDA (the house) is completely separate from SIL, which stands for Supported Independent Living (the support workers). Your family member can have both, but they're funded through two different lines in the NDIS plan. We cover this distinction more below.

For a complete explanation of what SDA is and how it works within the NDIS, read our complete guide to what SDA is.

Who Qualifies for an SDA House?

The first question families ask us: "Does my family member qualify?" It's a fair question, and the answer isn't always straightforward.

Eligibility is determined by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), not by housing providers like us. To be considered, your family member must be an NDIS participant with a significant and permanent disability. Their disability must be attributable to intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, or physical impairment, and they must have extreme functional impairment or very high support needs requiring housing with specialist design features.

It's worth knowing that only around 6% of NDIS participants have SDA included in their plan. Most participants don't qualify. We say this not to discourage you, but because it's better to understand the picture early than to assume eligibility that may not be there.

If your family member does meet the criteria, the assessment process requires evidence from health professionals and is typically coordinated by a support coordinator or planner. The NDIS has published guidance on SDA eligibility for participants and families.

Eligibility and funding decisions are made by the NDIA. Speak with your support coordinator or planner for advice specific to your situation. For a full breakdown of criteria and how the assessment works, see our SDA eligibility guide and read about what the assessment process involves.

The Four Types of SDA Houses

SDA homes fall into four design categories. Which category your family member can access depends entirely on what's approved in their NDIS plan. You can't simply choose a preferred category.

Improved Liveability (IL) homes are better-designed than standard housing, with features tailored to sensory, intellectual, or cognitive needs: improved lighting, reduced trip hazards, and sound insulation, among others.

Fully Accessible (FA) homes provide high-level physical access for people who use mobility aids. Think wide doorways throughout, accessible bathrooms, and level access at every entry point.

Robust (RB) homes are built for people with complex behavioural support needs. They feature reinforced walls, fixtures, and fittings, along with enhanced safety features.

High Physical Support (HPS) homes are designed for the most significant physical support needs. Ceiling hoists, tracking systems, emergency backup power, and the highest levels of assistive technology integration are standard at this level.

Building types (apartment, duplex, house, or villa) can apply to any category. The design category is what determines the accessibility features inside, not the building form.

When comparing homes, look beyond just the category label. The SDA design standards themselves specify what each category must include. For the full breakdown of all four categories and what families should look for, read our complete guide to the four SDA design categories. For detail on what the standards require in practice, see the SDA design standards guide.

How NDIS Funding Pays for an SDA House

SDA funding doesn't come automatically with an NDIS plan. It must be separately assessed, approved, and included as its own funding line. If it's not in the plan, it's not funded.

What SDA funding covers is the dwelling itself: the purpose-built structure and its specialist design features. The NDIS outlines how SDA funding operates for providers on their website.

What SDA funding does not cover: bond payments (that's the participant's responsibility), contents insurance, and personal belongings. These work the same way as any private tenancy.

Separately from the SDA dwelling funding, your family member pays a Reasonable Rent Contribution toward their housing costs. This is calculated as 25% of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) plus 100% of Commonwealth Rent Assistance. The NDIA pays the SDA provider directly for the dwelling funding portion. Support services (SIL) are a separate funding line again.

Funding amounts vary by design category and building type. For a full explanation of how the numbers work, see how SDA funding works, and for current payment rates by category, check the 2026 SDA price guide.

How to Find an SDA House in Melbourne

Finding an SDA house is nothing like searching for a private rental. There's no centralised listing, no equivalent of Realestate.com.au for SDA properties.

The NDIS SDA Finder (available on ndis.gov.au) shows registered SDA providers by location and design category. What it does not show is available properties or vacancies. It won't tell you which homes are empty or how long a waitlist might be. Families sometimes arrive expecting a property search tool and find a provider directory instead. That's an important distinction.

What families actually need to do: identify the approved design category from the NDIS plan, use the SDA Finder to locate registered providers in the preferred suburbs, then contact those providers directly to ask about vacancies and waitlists.

Location matters more than families sometimes realise at the start. Where your family member lives determines how often you can see each other. A home in a suburb that's close to your family, familiar to your loved one, and well-connected by public transport is worth prioritising over one that ticks every box except proximity.

We have SDA homes across Melbourne, including in Preston, Reservoir, Box Hill, Glen Waverley, and Coburg. These suburbs were chosen with proximity to family networks and community connections in mind, not just because they happened to be available.

For practical guidance on searching, contacting providers, and evaluating locations, see our complete guide to finding SDA housing in Melbourne. It also covers how to choose an SDA provider once you've identified options.

SDA vs SIL: Understanding the Difference

This is the most common point of confusion we see from families, and it's worth clearing up plainly.

SDA is the house. Supported Independent Living (SIL) is the support. Your family member needs somewhere to live (SDA) and may also need staff to assist them day to day (SIL). These are two entirely separate things, funded through two separate lines in the NDIS plan.

Crucially, participants can choose different providers for each. You are not locked into a combined package where one organisation controls both the housing and the support. Paramount provides SDA only. Your family member chooses their own SIL provider independently, which means they retain genuine choice and control over their support arrangements.

Why this matters for families: when housing and support are separate, you have more options and more flexibility. If the SIL arrangement isn't working, it can change without disrupting the housing. If the family member wants to move, the support can move with them.

For a full comparison, read our full SDA vs SIL guide.

What to Expect from the SDA Process

We won't sugarcoat this part: the SDA journey takes time. Most families spend several months from first learning about SDA to move-in day. Some spend longer. NDIS processing times vary, and we genuinely can't predict how long yours will take.

Here's a high-level picture of what the journey typically looks like:

1. Confirm your family member is an NDIS participant with SDA assessed and approved in their plan
2. Work with a support coordinator to identify the approved design category and preferred location
3. Use the NDIS SDA Finder to identify registered providers in those areas, then contact them about vacancies
4. Visit properties, ask questions, and compare options
5. Negotiate a tenancy agreement with the chosen provider and confirm SIL support arrangements
6. Move in

The uncertainty in the middle steps, especially around NDIS assessment timelines, is genuinely frustrating. We wish we could speed that part up. What we can control is making the housing side as clear as possible.

For the detailed steps in the assessment and eligibility process, see what the SDA assessment process involves. For the full move-in journey from plan to keys, read the full SDA transition process.

Where to Go From Here

Finding the right SDA house for your family member is a big decision, and it's not one you need to make quickly or alone. Every section of this guide links to a deeper post where you can get the full detail on that topic.

If you're not sure whether SDA is even on the table for your family member, eligibility is the right place to start. If you already know SDA is in the plan and you're now looking at properties in Melbourne, browse our available SDA homes to see what we have across the suburbs we operate in.

We work with families at every stage of this process, from families who are still trying to work out whether their loved one might qualify, through to families who have an approved plan and are actively searching for the right property in the right suburb. We don't have a one-size-fits-all answer, because no two families are in exactly the same situation. But we do have experience, and we're genuinely happy to share it.

Got questions about whether SDA might be right for your family? Call us on (03) 9999 7418 or email admin@paramounthomes.com.au. We're happy to talk through your situation, no pressure. We're focused on one thing: helping families find SDA homes that keep them close to the people who matter most.