The latest quarterly report from the NDIA included a new set of market data relating to specialist disability accommodation (SDA). It showed that at the end of September 2018, more than 9,500 NDIS participants across Australia had an SDA payment in their NDIS plan and over $90m had been committed in SDA payments. There were 2,200 registered SDA dwellings, and of these, 260 were newly built.
Analysing the data, Disability Consulting Services principal consultant Brent Woolgar said it would hopefully increase confidence in the SDA market.
He said broad conclusions from the data included:
• A majority of SDA payments are at the basic level
• At least 10% of SDA stock is newly built
• There continues to be a significant undersupply of new, higher accessibility SDA
• The committed SDA spending is still less than 20% of the NDIS’ estimated $700m a year
“However, the release of the data is a very welcome and encouraging step by the NDIA,” Mr Woolgar said. “It also reinforces an emerging trend within the SDA market of participants starting to be approved to live alone in high physical support settings.”