Supported Independent Living
Submission 44
Submission to Joint Parliamentary Committee NDIS: Supported Independent Living
Currently our daughter, aged 42, is in receipt of SIL funding and lives in shared accommodation. The process of the allocation of this funding is complex and remains a mystery to most families which adds to the disquiet around the NDIS and its transparency. It seems to us that the allocation of SIL funding does not fully consider the floor plan of the accommodation or the consequences of possible crisis situations that can develop over-night.
Currently our daughter is housed in public housing owned by the State Government. Under SIL funding the floor plan leads to inefficient allocation of SIL resources. For some years we have approached Housing Queensland for alternative accommodation to overcome compatibility issues as well as changing needs when the clients age. Thus far there has been no offer from the department. It is clear that the State Government is no longer a provider in the disability sector with emphasis shifting to other priorities which are equally needy.
Under NDIS Service Providers are finding they are needing to preserve capital as the margins under NDIS are insufficient to provide services, train good support workers and make capital expenditure on housing. Social Housing Providers are building for clients who qualify for SDA funding as they can offset capital costa with the grant monies available. There is some activity for clients who do not meet the criteria for SDA but this is in fringe suburbs where land costs are more affordable. But lack services, public transport and social interaction opportunities. Accessing such services requires transport funding which is not available through NDIS. Relocating in such areas is not an option for people who have established networks and services and may also be settled into routines in which they are dependent for security. Such a move would result in major behaviour management issues creating angst and expense.
For some time, as a family we have been exploring the possibility of reaccommodating our daughter through a Social Housing Provider. We are realizing that the input from families is substantial. There is a news article recently from Bendigo which quotes a figure of $900,000 for three clients to ‘purchase’ a bed with an ensuite in a share home in an area where the median housing price is $475,000. Clearly this cost will be much higher in suburbs where the median price is much higher: it appears from the figures in Bendigo that the cost of providing for people with disability is nearly double that of the median house price. The article is available through the website below:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-30/shared-ownership-housing-model-for-people-with-disabilities/11464590?pfmredir=sm The sum required is clearly beyond the range of many families. The Provider involved works only in Victoria. There is a process whereby families without the funding may mortgage their own home but this gives rise to housing stress especially for parents who are retired and not in a position to service such a debt. We do not believe that such a process is in keeping with the ethos of the NDIS: it is not meant to solve the problems of a person with disability by creating problems for the parents.
We request that the Standing Committee considers these facts and finds some solution for funding the difference in cost between median accommodation price and reasonable accommodation suitable for long term occupancy for people who require overnight attendant care and extra bathrooms.
Mr and Mrs Bill and Alison Semple.