Home / NDIS Resources / SIL and SDA FAQs
SIL and SDA FAQs for Victoria and Western Australia
Caring Hearts Home Care is a registered NDIS provider of onsite Supported Independent Living (SIL) in Victoria and Western Australia. These answers explain how SIL and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) work together, and what to check before you choose a home.
SDA is the home. SIL is the support you get inside it. They are funded separately, so the home and your support provider are two separate choices.
Before you choose a home: five things to check
Every SDA home has its own owner and its own lease. Ask about these first.
- Which SDA design category the home is built to.
- What the rent covers, and what you pay for separately, such as bills.
- Who the SDA owner is, and who to call for repairs.
- Whether the home has a room for overnight support.
- Whether you can bring your own support provider.
SIL and SDA questions in Victoria
Plain answers for participants, families and support coordinators looking at SDA homes in Melbourne and across Victoria.
What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SDA is the home. It is NDIS funding for a house or apartment built for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SIL is the support. It pays for the workers who help you with daily tasks inside your home.
They are funded separately in your NDIS plan. You can have one without the other.
Related: SDA Housing Victoria | Supported Independent Living
Can I have SIL and SDA funding at the same time?
Yes. SDA funds the home and SIL funds your daily support. They are listed separately in your plan, and they can come from two different organisations.
The SDA owner looks after the building. Your SIL provider looks after your support.
Related: SDA Housing Victoria
Do all SDA homes work the same way?
No. Each SDA home has its own owner, its own lease and its own design category. SIL and SDA mean the same thing everywhere, but the details are set home by home.
Before you decide, check five things for each home: the design category, what the rent covers, who the owner is and who to call for repairs, whether the home has a room for overnight support, and whether you can bring your own support provider.
Related: SDA Housing Victoria
Can I choose my own support provider in an SDA home?
In most cases, yes. The SDA owner provides the home. Who supports you inside it is a separate choice.
Some homes already have a support provider in place, so check the listing and the lease before you apply, and ask the owner if you can bring your own provider.
Related: Referrals
What does an onsite SIL provider do?
An onsite SIL provider supports you inside the home, day and night, based on your plan. This can include personal care, meals, medication help, getting out into the community and building daily living skills.
Caring Hearts Home Care is an onsite SIL provider. The SDA owner looks after the building. We look after your support.
Related: Supported Independent Living
What if the home does not have an onsite SIL provider yet?
Tell us the home and the suburb. We will talk with you about providing onsite SIL support there. The participant and the home owner both need to agree before any support starts.
Related: Send a referral
How much rent do I pay in an SDA home?
You pay a Reasonable Rent Contribution to the SDA owner. It is 25% of your Disability Support Pension, including the Pension Supplement, plus 100% of any Commonwealth Rent Assistance you receive. In early 2026 this was around $516 per fortnight.
Your SIL funding does not pay your rent. It pays for your support workers. Ask each home what the rent covers.
Related: SDA Housing Victoria
What are the four SDA design categories?
Improved Liveability is for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive needs. Fully Accessible is for people who need a high level of physical access, such as wheelchair users. Robust is a stronger build for people whose behaviour may damage a standard home. High Physical Support is for people with very high physical support needs, with features such as ceiling hoists and extra space.
Your NDIS plan states which category you are approved for.
Related: SDA Housing Victoria
What is overnight support in an SDA home?
Some SDA homes have an extra room so a support worker can stay overnight. This is called Onsite Overnight Assistance, or OOA. The room is part of the home. The worker's time is part of your support funding, not your SDA funding.
The setup differs from home to home, so confirm it before you sign a lease.
Related: Supported Independent Living
What can I do while I wait for SDA approval?
Short Term Accommodation and Respite can give you a safe place to stay while your approval or a home is being arranged. Your support coordinator can tell you if it is in your plan.
Related: Short Term Accommodation and Respite
Can I go from hospital straight into an SDA home?
Often it needs planning. A discharge plan, a suitable home and your support all have to line up. We plan the support and the move with your hospital team and your support coordinator.
Is SIL the same as ILO?
No. SIL is shared or 24/7 support in a home. Individualised Living Options, or ILO, is a more flexible option built around one person.
Related: ILO vs SIL differences
SDA homes by area
Melbourne | Footscray | Brunswick West | Preston | Reservoir | Dandenong | Frankston | Ferntree Gully | Clyde North
SIL and SDA questions in rural Victoria
Answers for people living in or moving to regional towns such as Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
Can I get onsite SIL support in Geelong, Ballarat or Bendigo?
Tell us the town and the home. We will confirm if we can provide onsite SIL support there before you make any decision.
Related: Send a referral
Are there SDA homes outside Melbourne?
Yes. SDA homes exist in regional Victoria, but there are fewer of them, so availability changes quickly. We provide support in the Armstrong Creek area near Geelong, and we can talk with you about other regional towns.
Related: Armstrong Creek | SDA Housing Victoria
Can I stay in my own town while I wait for a home?
Short Term Accommodation and Respite can give you a safe base while you wait. Ask your support coordinator whether it is in your plan.
Related: Short Term Accommodation and Respite
Can I move from a country town to a Melbourne SDA home and keep my support provider?
In most cases, yes. Your SIL provider is a separate choice from the home. Check the lease for the home you want, and tell us early if you would like us to plan the move with you.
Related: Melbourne SDA homes | Referrals
Regional SDA page
SIL and SDA questions in Perth and Western Australia
Answers for people looking at SDA homes and onsite support in Perth and across WA.
What is the difference between SIL and SDA in Perth and WA?
SDA is the home and SIL is your daily support. The rules are the same across Australia. Both can be in your NDIS plan at once, and each is funded separately.
Related: Caring Hearts across Australia
Can I choose my own support provider in a WA SDA home?
In most cases, yes. The SDA owner provides the home and you choose who supports you inside it. Check each home first, because some list a support provider already. Tell us the home and the suburb and we will confirm if we can provide onsite SIL support there.
Related: Send a referral
How do I leave a Perth hospital and move into a home with support?
We plan the discharge, the support and the move together with your hospital team and support coordinator.
Related: NDIS hospital discharge, Perth WA
Can I get behaviour support in WA?
Yes, by telehealth. Positive Behaviour Support is available online to people in Western Australia.
Related: Positive Behaviour Support
How long does it take to move into an SDA home in WA?
It depends on four things: your SDA approval, finding a suitable home, signing the lease, and any changes the home needs. Starting early with your support coordinator saves time.
Related: Send a referral
More on Western Australia
Hospital discharge Perth WA | Positive Behaviour Support | Caring Hearts across Australia
Still have a question?
Tell us the home, the suburb and your support needs. We will confirm if we can provide onsite SIL support and talk you through the next steps.