A series of free online information sessions next month will give Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) tenants the chance to share their lived experience.
It’s part of a ground-breaking NDIA funded project called Tenant Voice, and it’s open to people with disability and all those connected with SDA.
“SDA has come a long way in ten years, but the people who live there still struggle to be heard,” said Lee Archer, manager of Tenant Voice.
“Some people find their new homes are the best thing that has ever happened to them and others are facing challenges with their properties, or with the disability support providers. These forums flip the script: tenants set the agenda, and we take their priorities to providers and policy-makers.”
Run by facilitators who live in SDA, Tenant Voice will establish reference groups in each state and territory, meeting quarterly to surface what’s working, what isn’t and what must change. Insights will be fed back to the NDIA, housing providers and support organisations, with two national forums planned to showcase best practice.
Topics to be covered include:
- Capturing and spreading best practice in high-satisfaction SDAs
- Choosing and negotiating with onsite support providers: tools, conflict-resolution and decision-making
- Effective property choice, privacy and dignity-of-risk in shared settings
- Escalating complaints that aren’t heard
- Fair cost-sharing for shared supports and funding optimisation
- Moving from tokenistic “co-design” to genuine SDA tenant leadership
The forums are:
| Victoria | Tuesday 5 August 2025 | 2:00pm |
| Queensland | Tuesday 5 August 2025 | 11:00 am |
| New South Wales | Wednesday 6 August 2025 | 2:00 pm |
For a plain language invitation and registration form, visit https://ypinh.org.au/tenantvoice/