Dwelling types eligible for SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) funding and OOA
Funding of the types of dwelling eligible for SDA funding are noted in NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) SDA Price Guide. Therefore, to seek SDA funding the SDA dwelling is required to fit into one of the below dwelling types.
Types of funded SDA dwellings:
- Apartment, 1 bedroom, 1 resident- In this case the apartment with one bedroom will be for exclusive use of one Participant.
- Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 1 resident - In this case the apartment with two bedrooms will have one bedroom for exclusive use of one Participant and one non-SDA bedroom.
- Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 residents- In this case the apartment with two bedrooms will have two bedrooms for use by two Participants (one each).
- Apartment, 3 bedrooms, 2 residents- In this case the apartment with three bedrooms will have two bedrooms for use by two Participants (one each) and one non-SDA bedroom.
- Villa/duplex/townhouse, 1 resident
- Villa/duplex/townhouse, 2 residents
- Villa/duplex/townhouse, 3 residents
- House, 2 residents
- House, 3 residents
- Group Home, 4 residents
- Group Home, 5 residents
The OOA (On-site Overnight Assistance) requirements will depend on the type of the SDA dwelling.
The On-site Overnight Assistance (OOA) amount is an additional amount that is paid when an additional space or apartment is provided for use by support staff who provide 24-hour support services to SDA participants living in the same dwelling or same apartment complex. The type of OOA depends on the SDA Building Type as shown below.
| APARTMENTS | OTHER BUILDINGS |
| The OOA must be a separate apartment in the same apartment complex as the SDA apartment. | The OOA can be in an additional room inside or adjoining the dwelling(s). |
| The OOA amount is not paid when the OOA space is an additional room in a SDA apartment. | The OOA may be shared between multiple dwellings, but it can only be claimed against one dwelling. |
| The OOA amount for one separate OOA apartment is payable for a maximum of 10 SDA apartments. | |
| No OOA amount is payable once the OOA amount has been added for 10 SDA apartments. |
Common questions we receive with regards to OOA
Question: I have a 3 Bedroom SDA apartment with only 2 Participants. Can I use the third bedroom for OOA?
Answer: This scenario is not permitted for OOA payment under the Price Guide.
Question: I have 15 SDA Apartments that require OOA. Can I claim OOA payment for all 15 SDA apartments if I provide one OOA apartment?
Answer: OOA is paid per maximum of 10 SDA Apartments. Therefore, for 15 SDA units to receive the OOA funding, 2 OOA apartments will be required. If only one OOA is provided, then OOA would be payable to 10 SDA apartments and not payable on 5 SDA apartments.
Question: I have a 5-bedroom Group home, can I provide one of these rooms as OOA?
Answer: Yes, if you have 4 Participants then the 5th bedroom can be provided as OOA.
Question: Can an OOA room be designed as an office without a bed provided?
Answer: There are no set requirements for provision of a bed in an OOA room, though it is important to remember that OOA room will be used by the SIL provider to be on site (24 hours). Therefore, even though not mandated, we would recommend a space for a bed in the OOA room.
New advice as received from NDIA on the 11th of November 2022
Question: To claim OOA funding for apartments, can a OOA room be provided instead of a full apartment?
Answer: No. Where OOA funding is claimed for an apartment, the OOA needs to be a full apartment which would consist of a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. A studio-style apartment cannot be used for OOA.
The date of effect for Overnight Assistance studio apartments not being acceptable is as per the table below. NDIA will require dated evidence to this effect.
Studio apartments not accepted as OOA-
SDA Design Stage Certification submitted to the NDIA prior to 4 December 2021 Development Application dated after 11 November 2022
Studio apartments accepted as OOA-
Development Applications dated between 4 December 2021 and 11 November 2022
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Disclaimer: Thís article is based on Vista Access Architect’s personal interpretation of requirements. This article is not endorsed by the NDIA and users are advised to make their own inquires directly with NDIA.