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A man in a wheelchair is watering his plants at his home. He's thinking about the NDIS SDA quarterly report and how he loves his SDA home.

The NDIS have released their SDA quarterly report, spanning from 31st December 2024 – 30th March 2025. Within it, we deep dive into it’s reporting on the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) market. The SDA sector is evolving rapidly, with new homes, more participants and increased funding shaping a promising future for Australians living with disability.

As part of the broader NDIS ecosystem, SDA plays a vital role in supporting participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA has helped countless of participants exit aged care or unsuitable housing by providing homes that work with a participant’s disability, not against them.

A woman living in her NDIS SDA home is ironing some clothes. She is sitting in her wheelchair.

SDA Participation on the Rise

The number of NDIS participants actively using SDA has steadily increased, growing by an average of 5% per year over the past two years. As of March 31, 2025, there are 15,099 participants using SDA, compared to 13,740 two years prior.

Interestingly, the number of participants eligible for SDA but not yet using it has remained relatively stable. At the end of March 2025, 9,662 participants had SDA funding in their plans but had not moved into an SDA home. There are a number of reasons this might occur, including:

  • SDA was recently added to their plan
  • They don’t want to leave their current living arrangement
  • They’re waiting for a vacancy or newly built dwelling to be completed
  • They’re still exploring locations or searching for a suitable SDA category
  • Their current supports aren’t giving them the option to move to a SDA home
  • They can’t bring their current supports with them

This highlights that while eligibility is increasing, the decision to move is often deeply personal and depends on timing, supports available, available housing and individual readiness. Participants also sight the difficulty of finding a SDA home where their familiar supports are welcome. The NDIA commission is currently exploring the formalisation of separation of supports, for example not allowing a SIL home to take SDA and provide SIL supports.

A man sits on the couch reading his braille book. Next to him is a cane.

Funding and Payments

The financial investment in SDA has grown significantly. Over the past two years, total SDA payments have increased by 34% annually, from $228 million in 2023 to $411 million in 2025. This includes an increase in average SDA payments per participant, which have grown by 28% per year.

Much of this growth can be attributed to new SDA benchmark prices introduced from 1 July 2023, as well as automatic annual indexation of SDA funding from 1 July 2024.

A Growing SDA Market

SDA housing supply is also expanding. As of 31 March 2025, there were 11,360 enrolled SDA dwellings across Australia, up 21% annually, and 28% more than the previous year. This expansion was seen across nearly all design categories, with particularly strong growth in:

  • Robust housing: up 63% (549 new dwellings)
  • High Physical Support housing: up 49% (1,645 new dwellings)

Participants with Robust or High Physical Support have higher funding amounts than their friends with Improved Liveability or Fully Accessible categories. Every state and territory recorded an increase in enrolled dwellings, except the ACT, which had a decrease of one home.

For participants, the continued investment in SDA means more choice, better housing options and increasing confidence that their needs will be met.

For providers and developers, the growth trajectory signals a maturing market. With rising demand, expanding eligibility and increased payments, SDA presents a unique opportunity to create homes that are not only compliant but deeply supportive of the people who live in them. Providers are noting participants increased choice and are actively building in established suburbs, rather than new build estates with no services, despite the higher costs associated.

A woman sits outside her SDA home on the grass. Next to her is a walker and table with a refreshing drink.

Take outs of the NDIS SDA Quarterly Report: 
  • Participant use of SDA is increasing by 5% annually as word spreads of the increase in quality-of-life SDA can help participants achieve.
  • Total SDA payments have jumped 34% per year (now $411M, from $228M in 2023).
  • New homes are being enrolled at record pace, particularly in the robust and high physical support categories
  • Average SDA funding per participant has also climbed 28% annually, attributed to yearly indexation and & new benchmark pricing released in 2023.

 

Want to find out more about SDA and the NDIS? Check out our blog on new NDIS assessment eligibility timeframes here.

You can find the NDIS SDA Quarterly Report here.