Keeping the Family Whole: The Jones Family’s Creative Quest for NDIS SDA Housing
In a perfect world, a family facing disability wouldn’t have to choose between specialist housing and staying together. For the Jones family — a husband and wife with their teenage daughter — that choice feels very real. The husband is eligible for NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in the Fully Accessible category, in Australia's NDIS Specialist Disability Accomodation program, yet finding a home that works for all three of them has proven far harder than expected.
This is their story so far — and the practical, hopeful strategies they’re pursuing to build a future where accessibility doesn’t mean separation.
The Challenge: SDA Eligibility Meets Family Life
Under the NDIS, Fully Accessible SDA is designed for people with significant physical impairments, typically wheelchair users or those needing high levels of mobility support. These homes feature step-free entry, wide doorways and corridors, roll-in showers, adjustable benches, and space for assistive technology and support workers.
The problem? Traditional SDA models often assume group or individual living arrangements that don’t easily accommodate spouses and children. Many families are forced to consider separate housing, which fragments daily life, increases emotional strain, and adds logistical complexity — especially with a teenager still at home.
The Jones family refuses to accept that outcome. They want one property where they can live as a unit, with the husband’s SDA needs fully met and the wife and daughter comfortable and supported.
Practical Solutions on the Table
After months of searching, their support team (including the author of this piece) has narrowed the focus to three realistic pathways:
1. Building a new home from the ground up. This offers the greatest control. A purpose-designed home can incorporate Fully Accessible features throughout while creating private and shared family spaces. It’s the gold standard for compliance with the NDIS SDA Design Standard, but it requires suitable land, time, and capital, at Sydney's exorbitant prices.
2. Buying a new 3-bedroom apartment and retrofitting. Some newer apartments can be adapted by converting a bedroom into additional accessible circulation space or modifying wet areas. This provides a more compact, low-maintenance option in urban areas with good services. However, body corporate rules, lift access, and the cost of bringing an entire unit up to full SDA enrolment standards can face insurmountable hurdles.
3. The “House + Villa” model (currently gaining strong momentum). Buy a manageable existing house for the wife and daughter, then construct a compliant SDA villa (a standalone or semi-attached dwelling) at the rear of the property. The villa would be built and enrolled to Fully Accessible standards, providing the husband with dedicated, high-quality accommodation while keeping the family on the same block.
This approach is particularly promising. Australian planning rules in most states now support secondary dwellings (granny flats or accessory dwellings), though approvals vary by council and state. In many cases, a well-designed villa can be enrolled as SDA, delivering the funding and accessibility the husband needs without forcing the family apart.
Game-Changing Rule: Appendix H
A lesser-known but powerful provision is making family unity far more achievable: Appendix H in the NDIS SDA Pricing Arrangements.
Introduced and refined in recent years, Appendix H allows an SDA-eligible participant to live with non-SDA family members (spouse, children, partners) in a compliant dwelling. The NDIS adjusts funding to support the shared arrangement, recognising that accessibility should not require family separation.
This opens the door for the Jones family to potentially live all together in one high-quality, Fully Accessible home — or to use the house-plus-villa model with easy daily connection. It’s a quiet policy win that’s already helping many families stay intact.
Why This Matters Beyond One Family
The Jones family’s search highlights a broader gap in the NDIS housing landscape. While SDA has delivered excellent purpose-built homes for many participants, family-inclusive options remain limited. Creative solutions like on-site villas, thoughtful retrofits, and full use of Appendix H are showing what’s possible when families, support coordinators, builders, and planners collaborate.
For other families in similar situations, the message is clear:
- Start early with an SDA-experienced planner or advocate.
- Engage accredited SDA assessors, architects and specialist builders from the design stage.
- Understand your state’s rules on secondary dwellings — they’re more flexible than many realise.
- Explore ownership models, including working with SDA providers who support participant or family ownership.
The Search Continues — With Hope
The Jones family hasn’t found their perfect property yet, but they’re moving forward with determination and practical options on the table. Whether it’s a new build, a smart apartment conversion, or the house-plus-villa solution, they’re committed to a home that works for everyone.
Housing is more than bricks and mortar — it’s the foundation of family life, independence, and dignity. The Jones family’s story is a reminder that with creativity, persistence, and the right knowledge of NDIS rules, families don’t have to choose between specialist support and staying together.
We’ll keep following their journey. If you’re facing similar challenges, know that solutions exist — and you’re not alone in the search.
Names have been changed to protect privacy. This article is based on a real ongoing case and current NDIS rules as of 2026.
If you’re supporting a family through SDA housing challenges or navigating this yourself, feel free to reach out — stories like the Jones family’s help all of us learn and improve the system.