The ACT Government has revealed in Annual Reports hearings today that Housing ACT is not claiming any of the NDIS funding available to modify public housing for people with disability.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is housing designed for people with disability who have very high support needs. SDA funding is allocated in eligible individuals’ NDIS plans, and provided to their housing providers to ensure their housing meets their specific needs. Importantly, it cannot be received directly by NDIS participants; it must be claimed and utilised by their housing providers.
Independent Member for Kurrajong Thomas Emerson MLA said it was appalling that the ACT’s public housing provider, Housing ACT, has not claimed a single cent since the scheme was introduced in 2016, despite having registered as an SDA provider in 2017.
“People with disability living in public housing are among our most vulnerable community members. It’s completely unacceptable that the ACT Government has failed to make use of the federal funding available to improve their lives,” Mr Emerson said.
Federal ACT Independent Senator David Pocock sounded the alarm on some $215,000 annually in funding that was being foregone for one local provider’s clients following responses to his questions on notice to the National Disability Insurance Agency.
“We hear a lot about two levels of Labor government supposedly ‘delivering’ for Canberra but when it comes to specialist disability accommodation (SDA) they are clearly failing,” Senator Pocock said.
“The response from Minister Berry to de-register Housing ACT as an SDA provider ensures that Canberrans living with disability in public housing will continue to miss out on the funding to which they are entitled.”
Senator Pocock and Mr Emerson are writing to both governments outlining their concerns and requesting action to ensure SDA funds can begin to flow at the earliest opportunity for eligible recipients.
In April 2024, the ACT Government told The Canberra Times it was launching a four-month engagement project to hear from people living in SDA - and their families, carers and providers — about their housing needs and preferences.
During this morning’s Annual Reports hearings, the Minister for Homes, Homelessness and New Suburbs Yvette Berry MLA revealed that this work never occurred, and that the ACT Government is now allowing Housing ACT’s SDA registration to lapse because it was not expected to pass an impending recertification audit.
Mr Emerson said this revelation represented an abject failure on the part of the ACT Government to prioritise the needs of people with disability.
“Under public pressure more than 18 months ago, the ACT Government announced it was looking into this. An outcome was expected over a year ago, and now we’ve been told nothing has happened,” said Mr Emerson.
“The ACT Government has been crying poor while forgoing millions of dollars in federal funding for people with disability. The suggestion that the Minister has no idea why this piece of work wasn’t progressed beggars belief.
“Almost half of all Canberrans living in public housing have a disability. The ACT Government hasn’t even done the preliminary work to determine how many of its public housing tenants are NDIS participants who are eligible for SDA funding, let alone accessing that funding to ensure their homes match their needs.”
Background
This matter has been referred to the ACT Auditor-General in a letter tabled by the Minister for Homes, Homelessness and New Suburbs, Yvette Berry MLA, during today’s hearing, which is available here.
According to the letter, Housing ACT registered as an SDA provider in 2017, and in 2020 enrolled 112 dwellings into the program. Despite this, SDA was never operationalised.
Housing ACT’s registration as an SDA provider was due to expire on 14 December 2025, requiring a recertification audit to renew its registration.
On 7 October 2025, Minister Berry made the decision not to proceed with the recertification audit and renewal process.