Accessible accommodation options in rural or remote areas

Key points

• Specialist Disability Accommodation is the main form of housing available to high-needs people with disability

• In remote and regional areas, accessible housing is often limited or non-existent

• Accessible housing standards have been part of the National Construction Code since 2023

Unfortunately, additional barriers may affect people with disability when searching for housing in rural and remote Australia.

Limited supply and demand of accessible and affordable housing mean people who need Specialist Disability Accommodation may not have appropriate living situations.

Alternative options, including home modifications, could be the right solution to ensure you can continue living in your rural or remote community.

Why is rural accessible housing important?

Accessible housing and accommodation are crucial for the support and benefit of people living with disability in a rural setting. Without it, they may experience a decline in social opportunities, according to Tim Naughtin, Summer Foundation’s Head of Corporate Affairs.

“[Living in an inaccessible home or a hospital] are all unsuitable places for people to live and there are social costs for people living in aged care facilities, hospitals or unsuitable homes,” he said. 

“Those social costs include loneliness, health and wellbeing, being unable to work or participate economically and isolation.

“We also know that when people with disabilities live in homes that are not suitable for them, they require more personal supports from the National Disability Insurance Scheme, aged care or family members — often taking family members out of the workforce.”

Accessible housing in regional and remote areas, including Specialist Disability Accommodation, ensures that people with disability can remain at home — or in a new home — that supports their needs and independence.

Many options are also co-habited, providing a safe space for people with disability to live with others who require the same or similar supports.

What accessible housing is available regionally?

Several types of accessible housing are available in regional areas, including:

• NDIS-approved Specialist Disability Accommodation, including group homes;
• NDIS non-SDA accessible housing;
• public and community housing;
• Supported Independent Living for private renters or home-owners; and
• supported residential services.

Not all NDIS participants are eligible for SDA funding — eligible participants have extreme functional impairments or very high support requirements.

You can learn more about Specialist Disability Accommodation in this Disability Support Guide: Understanding Specialist Disability Accommodation.

The Summer Foundation estimates there are roughly 3,000 vacant SDA properties in Australia, although the majority of them are concentrated in metropolitan areas. Mr Naughtin highlighted the importance of SDA, regardless of location.

“SDA provides housing for people with some of the most significant impairments. It’s a small number of people but it’s a very important NDIS policy,” he said.

“We also have a lot of SDA houses that have been built by private developers that are sitting vacant. There are thousands of vacancies, including more than a thousand in brand new purpose-built disability accommodation.

“As you go out into regional Australia there is an issue there in terms of availability. This goes to the National Disability Insurance Agency because they need to be providing quality data to private companies who are going to invest in [regional] SDA in order to build that housing.”

Unfortunately, people living in rural and remote areas often miss out on dedicated housing, whether it is SDA or non-SDA.

Non-SDA housing is also available for people with disability who do not qualify for the highest level of support. These homes are still available through the NDIS and providers can often pair accessible housing with Supported Independent Living and other daily supports.

Limited workforces, unknown demand and financial risks for builders are some of the reasons why many rural and remote communities have limited purpose-built accessible housing.

You can also access NDIS support through Individualised Living Options, which is funding for in-home supports, excluding housing costs.

Alternative housing support may be accessible outside of the NDIS for eligible people, either through independent organisations, the Department of Social Services or with assistance from Local Area Coordinators.

Renovation options for people with disability

In regional or rural areas where accessible housing options are limited or not present, home modifications may be your next best option. It means you do not have to move houses and can stay in an area where a local support network is available to suit your needs.

Support is available for a range of renovations, including low-cost installations, like grab rails, non-structural/minor home modifications, and high-cost Complex Home Modifications that require structural changes.

Home modifications can be included in your NDIS plan, especially if your home significantly impacts your living and care arrangements and you or your carers cannot easily access common rooms like kitchens or bathrooms.

The NDIA will require a home modification assessment plan for approval of work, including guidance from an occupational therapist on Complex Home Modifications. For modifications costing over $30,000, you will have to engage with an NDIS Registered Building Works Project Manager.

It is also possible for you to include your own funds for any renovations. For example, the NDIA will fund standard modifications and fittings, but you can use your own money to cover the costs of upgrading to premium finishes or fittings.

If you do have this option, Mr Naughtin recommends trying to find accessible housing first over home modifications.

Ms Naughtin explains that you have to advocate for home modifications with the NDIS and you may find a difference between the modifications you need and the funding you are actually granted.

“Retrofitting is very difficult, very expensive and it’s often a stop-gap solution that [Australians have] been employing forever,” he said.

“If a person in a wheelchair is only fitting out their house, it doesn’t necessarily mean they can access another house to visit someone. And if they want to move, but there’s no accessible housing available, we’re locking people into their homes. It needs to be across society.”

Future housing accessibility

Housing accessibility increased in most states and territories when the National Construction Code (NCC) was updated in 2023.

Under those guidelines, all new builds must meet a Silver Level of accessibility outlined by Livable Housing Australia.

It will ensure that the framework for accessible housing is in place, meaning modifications will prove less costly and many people with disability can stay near support networks according to Mr Naughtin.

“The reforms that have come in as part of the new National Construction Code are transformative for people with disability and the broader community,” he said.

“What it means is that for the first time, we as a community will start to build more accessible homes.

“That goes for people with disability but it also goes for all of us who are ageing and will ultimately need to live somewhere where we need to enter the front door and use the bathroom.”

Future housing in rural and regional areas will be more accessible, making it easier for people living with disability to live where they choose.

Have you found accessible housing difficult to find in a rural or remote area? Tell us all about your experiences on social media.

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Related content:

Understanding Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Finding an accessible house in Australia
Individualised Living Options funding explained