There are over 400,000 Australians living with disability who have an individual NDIS plan, and it’s estimated that 28,000 participants are eligible to live in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). However, currently, only 16,000 are.

Where are the rest, you might ask? Younger people with disability who don’t secure appropriate housing have historically been moved into residential aged care as a last resort. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has stated that over 6,000 young people with disability are living in aged care, with 2,000 young people entering aged care annually.

The other 5,800 people not in aged care are still in inappropriate housing, including our hospital system. That means that 12,000 people require new purpose-built accommodation – now. And this figure is growing daily as the NDIS reaches more Australians.

To say SDA is greatly needed across Australia is an understatement. It is life-changing and, in some cases, lifesaving by providing much-needed independence, privacy, security, support and choice. Imagine, if for the first time in your life, you got to finally choose where you lived, how you lived and who you lived with. How would you feel?

As advocates for social inclusion, independence and choice, our vision here at Cocoon SDA Homes is to contribute to a world where people with disability are provided with tailored independent living and supported living options so that they can live their life as they choose.

It’s why we don’t stop when we’ve found the right home. Providing blended support services, we also ensure that our homes are well-staffed for support services to ensure participants have access to the personalised care they need to live independently.