Day 1 Agenda 

Registration and Arrival 

9.00am - 9.10am 
Lynn Gabriel - NDISDA Director

This session offers a comprehensive and practical overview of the current NDIS funding landscape for Specialist Disability Accommodation  and Supported Independent Living  providers.
Attendees will gain a clear understanding of funding structures, recent updates, and key compliance requirements.
 
The presentation will also examine common compliance challenges and provide strategic guidance on risk mitigation and operational safeguards.
Designed for providers seeking to enhance financial sustainability and regulatory alignment, this session is essential for navigating the complexities of NDIS service delivery in 2025.

As the NDIS marketplace continues to mature, the interplay between Specialist Disability Accommodation and Supported Independent Living  has become increasingly complex.

While these supports are designed to operate in the best interest of participants, tensions can arise when provider interests diverge—particularly where financial incentives and regulatory structures intersect.

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This session opens a nuanced discussion around:

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• Where SDA and SIL provider goals may not always align with optimal participant outcomes—and how this misalignment can affect tenancy stability, continuity of care, and service collaboration.

• Examples of how regulatory frameworks may be interpreted or applied in ways that benefit one party over another—such as SDA providers making decisions that don’t fully consider support needs, or SIL providers shaping rosters or placements around funding efficiencies rather than participant goals.

• The quiet risk of “soft coercion” in choice and control—whether from providers, support networks, or substitute decision-makers—where influence may unintentionally (or strategically) steer choices that do not reflect the participant’s best interest.

• Growing concerns around frequent participant moves, where "choice and control" may be used as a tool to pressure providers into meeting unreasonable demands, or where guardians may intervene in ways that destabilise care and housing arrangements.

• The importance of re-centring ethical practice in shared accommodation environments—ensuring roles are respected, responsibilities are clearly defined, and collaboration occurs without compromise to transparency or participant rights.

• What good practice looks like when housing and support providers maintain healthy independence while working in partnership to deliver consistent, participant-driven outcomes.

• The role of genuine collaboration in reducing risk, strengthening trust, and building enduring relationships—leading to more stable outcomes and shared success across participants, providers, and investors.

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Delivered with care and balance, this session aims to support open and constructive dialogue—acknowledging the commercial realities while upholding the integrity of the NDIS vision.

It invites Providers, Investors,  and Advocates to explore how we can build a more aligned and ethically grounded system, where participants truly remain at the centre.

Break 

Valuations often consider the future income potential of SDA homes rather than solely focusing on current occupancy.
Given the rising demand for disability housing and government commitments to improving access, periods of vacancy are typically viewed as temporary, especially in areas with strong long-term demand.
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This presentation will discuss reduced valuation during vacancy and mitigating vacancy impact   

Vacancies in SIL and SDA homes can significantly impact service sustainability and participant outcomes.
This presentation will provide  practical strategies to secure the right participants quickly, while keeping occupancy stable.

This presentation will explore how Community Housing Providers  can take proactive steps to tackle legacy stock—older properties that may no longer meet contemporary housing needs—by transforming them into valuable solutions for vulnerable populations.

Focusing on strategies for renovation, adaptability, and collaboration, this session will offer practical insights into how legacy housing can be repurposed for use as Specialist Disability Accommodation , transitional housing, and emergency crisis housing.

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The discussion will cover the role of CHPs in addressing the housing shortages faced by vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, youth transitioning from care, survivors of domestic violence, and others requiring stable, safe housing.

The session will highlight how CHPs can repurpose legacy stock to meet the growing demand for short-term, medium-term, and long-term accommodation while ensuring properties comply with current accessibility and support requirements.

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Key topics covered:

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Renovating and Adapting Legacy Properties

Retrofitting for Accessibility: Strategies for upgrading legacy homes to meet accessibility standards for people with disabilities, including retrofitting for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).

Creating Flexible Housing Solutions: How legacy stock can be adapted to serve multiple purposes, such as transitional housing, crisis accommodation, or short-term stays for people exiting institutional care.

Partnerships for Successful Repurposing

Collaborating with SDA Providers and Investors: How partnerships with SDA providers, private investors, and government agencies can help fund renovations and repurposing efforts.

Leveraging Impact Housing Funding: Identifying opportunities for securing funding through programs like NDIS and other impact housing initiatives to make legacy stock viable long-term.

​Engaging the Community and Tenants

Tenant-Centric Approaches: How CHPs can engage tenants in the planning and design of housing solutions, ensuring that their needs are met while fostering a sense of community.

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Lunch Break 

Session Overview:
This timely panel will explore the transformation of underutilised Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) homes into sustainable, inclusive housing solutions for those in crisis, transition, or requiring mental health and in-home care support.
With vacancy rates rising in certain SDA segments—placing financial strain on some investors—this session will spotlight the urgent need and opportunity to repurpose these properties to meet the housing demands of vulnerable cohorts, including youth exiting care, people with disability, families escaping domestic violence, and individuals with complex mental health needs.
Panellists will share strategies, innovations, and real-world case studies that showcase how SDA homes can be flexibly designed or adapted to meet evolving community needs while remaining compliant and functional.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Repurposing Vacant SDA Homes: Challenges and Opportunities
•    Why are some SDA homes underutilised, and what systemic or design issues contribute to vacancy?
•    How can these homes be effectively repurposed for transitional, crisis, or mental health accommodation without compromising

      SDA compliance?
•    What role can tenancy management and leasing models play in solving the vacancy issue?

2. Designing for Flexibility and Support
•    How can we create adaptable, multi-purpose homes that serve both SDA participants and those in mental health or transitional housing programs?
•    The importance of trauma-informed and disability-accessible design in making residents feel safe, supported, and empowered.

3. Community Housing and Collaborative Models
•    How can Community Housing Providers (CHPs) lead repurposing efforts through strategic partnerships?
•    Real examples of how CHPs, SIL providers, mental health professionals, and support coordinators can co-create housing and       

      support frameworks.
 

4. Collaborating for Safe and Sustainable Housing: Understanding Crisis Accommodation, Domestic Violence Support, Mental Health Housing, and the Role of SDA and Community Housing Providers

This discussion will focus on how SDA and CHP Providers can collaborate effectively with crisis accommodation, domestic violence shelters, and mental health service providers to create safe, stable housing solutions.

By exploring shared challenges, pooling resources, and integrating services, this session aims to minimise the impact of housing instability on vulnerable individuals and families.

It will highlight best practices for cross-sector collaboration, ensuring that people fleeing domestic violence, experiencing mental health crises, or transitioning from homelessness receive the support they need in safe, inclusive, and sustainable homes.

Session outcome 

Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how underutilised SDA properties can be reimagined and activated to tackle some of the nation’s most urgent housing challenges.

This session will focus on partnerships, showcasing scalable models, and providing actionable frameworks that link policy, investment, and community needs into a unified housing response.

​The panel will explore how underutilised SDA homes can be repurposed into flexible, inclusive, and sustainable housing solutions for individuals in crisis (youth, domestic violence victims and families, child protection, mental health, transition and  all crisis accommodation)   

By addressing challenges, presenting design and collaborative solutions, and emphasising long-term planning, this session will strengthen cross-sector partnerships and inspire innovative approaches to improving housing outcomes for vulnerable Australians.

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This presentation explores how SDA providers and Community Housing Providers (CHPs) can work together effectively, aligning their goals and minimizing conflict or competition.

While each sector serves vulnerable populations, they focus on different housing needs—CHPs offer affordable housing for low-income tenants, and SDA providers cater to individuals with disabilities requiring specialized accommodations.

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By recognizing the distinct roles and needs of each sector, they can complement rather than compete with one another.

The presentation highlights strategies for collaboration, including shared property portfolios, joint advocacy efforts, and the creation of a seamless continuum of care that allows tenants to transition between housing models as their needs evolve.

It also discusses the benefits of co-locating services and integrating tenancy management to ensure comprehensive support for tenants. Ultimately, the session will demonstrate how both providers, when aligned, can work together toward the shared objective of providing stable, safe, and supportive housing for vulnerable populations.

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This session brings together healthcare leaders, social workers, and disability housing experts to tackle one of the most pressing issues in the healthcare and disability sectors: the growing delays in hospital discharge for people with complex support needs.

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Focusing on the intersection of healthcare and housing, the session will highlight how hospital CEOs, discharge planners, and community-based housing providers—including SDA developers and Impact housing leaders—can co-create pathways that lead patients out of long-stay settings and into safe, appropriate accommodation with wraparound support.

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Real-life case studies will be shared from the perspectives of hospital staff and housing partners, exploring the systemic and practical changes needed—from NDIS responsiveness to housing design and crisis accommodation options.

The session will spotlight how strong coordination, timely information sharing, and shared accountability can break the cycle of hospital discharge delays.

Q & A audience and panels  

Networking and close