COAG Disability Reform Council Communiqué

The Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) Disability Reform Council met on Friday 24th April 2015. Housing for people with disabilities and the national Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was on the agenda, along with other matters concerned with transition to the full roll-out of the NDIS. 

The Assisant Minister for Social Services, Senator Mitch Fifield has issued a statement about the meeting's discussions, the COAG Disability Reform Council Communiqué:

... The role of housing in the NDISMinisters noted that the total budget for full scheme NDIS includes capital costs for specialist accommodation. 

Some of these funds will need to support existing specialist accommodation supply.
The balance of funds will support people with disability requiring an integrated housing and support model to access housing and to enable the market to generate and leverage new and innovative specialist disability housing. 

The Council has asked officials to work with the NDIA to support the development and testing of innovative accommodation pilots in trial sites that will help to expand the supply of appropriate and sustainable integrated housing and support models for people with disability. This may include existing, contemporary and/or innovative supports.
Initially this will focus on trial sites in which there are adequate funds to support meaningful activity in this area. 

These pilots will start to provide us with evidence about how different models contribute to outcomes for participants. 

It is very important that we take a measured approach to investment to ensure that the scheme is sustainable and can meet the needs of participants into the future. 

Increasing the supply of specialist disability housing will be incremental. A small number of initial pilots can help us define a path forward for specialist housing options to support participants as the NDIS transitions to a national scheme. 

The NDIS efforts in relation to specialist disability housing will be in addition to the ongoing mainstream housing effort of States and Territories.

... read the full statement on all agenda items here.