Medium Term Accommodation NDIS

Eligibility and Purpose:

Medium Term Accommodation is only funded by the NDIS when it is required to facilitate access to long-term housing solutions that appropriately accommodate a participant’s disability-related needs. Participants must have confirmation of a permanent housing option becoming available within a reasonable timeframe, such as a Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) property, private rental, social housing, or home ownership. 

Medium Term Accommodation NDIS is not intended to address general housing instability or homelessness. Its purpose is to specifically assist participants facing disability-related barriers during the transition from inappropriate, unstable, or unsustainable housing to their identified long-term solution.  

Common scenarios include: 

• When a participant is ready to be discharged from hospital, rehabilitation or residential aged care but cannot immediately return home due to accessibility issues or other disability-related barriers, MTA steps in to offer interim accommodation with disability supports. This allows time for necessary home modifications to be completed before the participant returns home. 

• A participant living in an unsuitable private rental requires assistance to find and apply for an appropriate long-term rental property that meets their accessibility needs. MTA offers temporary accommodation during this process. 

• A participant has identified and received approved for a Specialist Disability Accommodation dwelling, but it is still undergoing final construction and certification. As the participant requires tailored supports that cannot be provided in their current housing, they opt to move into MTA while awaiting the completion of their new accessible home. 

Medium Term Accommodation NDIS is generally not funded for participants simply waiting for public or community housing unless there is a confirmed rental offer and the individual faces disability-related barriers to immediate occupancy. Additionally, it does not cover short-term accommodation (STA), such as holidays or respite stays. 

Features and Supports 

MTA focuses exclusively on providing suitable housing along with disability supports, rather than funding everyday living expenses like food and utilities, which are covered under other NDIS supports. It aims to replicate long-term housing solutions as closely as possible within the limitations of temporary accommodation. 

MTA is flexible and customised to meet the unique needs of each participant. This could include relocating the participant or modifying their existing home to make it temporarily suitable. The accommodation supports the participant in developing skills and routines to enhance their ability to manage and sustain a home in the future. 

In addition to providing physical housing, Medium Term Accommodation NDIS can fund a range of disability-related supports such as assistance with personal care and household tasks, training for living skills, transport, and provision of aids and equipment. Supports are provided both on-site and off-site as needed, ensuring participants are prepared for their upcoming transition. 

 The combination of tailored accommodation and supports provided through Medium Term Accommodation NDIS aim to give participants with stability, maximise their capacity to live as independently as possible, and reduce risks to enable successful transition into long-term housing. 

Duration 

Medium Term Accommodation NDIS serves as a temporary solution and is not ongoing. Funding is provided for a reasonable duration required to facilitate the participant’s access to permanent housing. This is generally between 90 days to 12 months, with a maximum of 18 months in exceptional circumstances. 

Participants, their families, service providers, and NDIS planners collaboratively develop an MTA plan with defined timeframes that align with the expected availability of long-term housing solutions. Progress is reviewed regularly, and modifications are made if transition milestones shift. Extensions beyond 18 months are granted only with evidence of circumstances outside the participant’s control preventing access to housing. 

Medium Term Accommodation NDIS ceases when the participant moves into appropriate long-term housing or faces challenges in transitioning due to changing circumstances. It is not intended as a way of providing subsidised long-term housing. If a participant’s situation changes during their MTA period and they are no longer eligible for NDIS funding, they are linked to mainstream housing supports. 

Provider Requirements 

MTA is delivered by registered NDIS providers who meet additional requirements regarding suitably qualified staff, individualised participant supports, collaborative planning, and compliance. Providers must: 

• Employ skilled disability support workers and coordinators to deliver on-site assistance. 

• Have capacity to source and establish suitable temporary accommodation. 

• Support participants in accessing required disability and mainstream services. 

• Actively collaborate with participants, families, the NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency), and other stakeholders throughout the MTA period to facilitate transition 

• Maintain detailed documentation and reporting regarding NDIS plan implementation and progress towards housing goals. 

• Ensure staff receive training in areas like individualised service provision, privacy, risk management, and compliance. 

• Adhere to NDIS practice standards, quality assurance processes, housing regulations, and disability service standards. 

Medium Term Accommodation is an important specialised disability support within the NDIS framework. It provides much-needed assistance during the complex process of securing and transitioning into long-term housing appropriate for the participant’s accessibility and support needs. Through careful planning and delivery by skilled providers, Medium Term Accommodation NDIS provides participants with stability, capacity building, and coordination during a significant transition in their housing and pursuit of independence.