SDA housing in Cranbourne, built for the people hardest to house.
Empower and Shine is a registered SDA provider in Cranbourne. Specialist Disability Accommodation is for participants who need more than an ordinary house, a home that is designed and built to hold up, so that intellectual disability and behaviours of concern do not stand in the way of somewhere safe to live. We run three SDA homes across Cranbourne and Botanic Ridge, and our own support team works inside them.
What does SDA in NDIS mean?
SDA stands for Specialist Disability Accommodation. It is NDIS funding for the house itself, not for the people who work in it. It pays for housing that has been purpose-built or specially adapted, with the accessibility, durability and safety features that a standard rental simply does not have.
SDA exists because some participants cannot be safely or reasonably housed in ordinary accommodation. That includes people living with intellectual disability alongside behaviours of concern, where an everyday home would not stand up to daily life and where the layout itself has to reduce risk, for the resident and for everyone around them.
SDA is written into your NDIS plan only after the NDIA assesses that you need it. It is a smaller group of participants than SIL, and it is not in every plan.
The short answer
SDA = the home. NDIS funding for a specialist, purpose-built or modified house.
SIL = the support. NDIS funding for the workers who help you live in it.
At Empower and Shine you can have either, or both. All three of our homes are registered for SDA, and all three are used for Supported Independent Living too. One team, one home, whichever funding you hold.
Three SDA homes in Cranbourne and Botanic Ridge.
Every one of these homes is registered for Specialist Disability Accommodation, and every one is also used for Supported Independent Living. Choose a home to look inside.
7 Ferndown Drive
Cranbourne, VIC 3977
An SDA home in a real Cranbourne street, not a facility. Built to take the wear of everyday life, with trained, screened support workers on hand day and night, and enough room for a resident to settle without feeling managed.
- Suited to intellectual disability and behaviours of concern
- Trained, screened support workers on site
- Small home, around three residents
40 Stringyleaf Street
Botanic Ridge, VIC 3977
A quiet Botanic Ridge home with the same specialist build behind it. Space to breathe, a garden to use, and a team who know every resident by name rather than by roster.
- Suited to intellectual disability and behaviours of concern
- Trained, screened support workers on site
- Small home, around three residents
12 Brookland Greens Boulevard
Cranbourne, VIC 3977
Our third SDA home in Cranbourne, close to shops, transport and the things that make a week feel normal. Specialist where it needs to be, ordinary everywhere else.
- Suited to intellectual disability and behaviours of concern
- Trained, screened support workers on site
- Small home, around three residents
What are the differences between SDA providers and SIL providers?
They fund two different things, and most families meet them as two different companies. We are registered for both, which is why our homes can do both.
| SDA provider | SIL provider | |
|---|---|---|
| What it funds | The physical home, the bricks, the build and the design features | The support workers and the daily help inside the home |
| What you get | A specialist house designed for high or complex needs | Help with cooking, personal care, medication, life skills |
| Who it is for | Participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs | Participants who need daily support to live independently |
| How it is paid | NDIS SDA payment to the provider, plus the resident’s rent contribution | Drawn from the SIL budget in the participant’s NDIS plan |
| How common | A smaller group of participants, assessed and stated in the plan | Far more common, most people in a shared home have SIL |
| Empower and Shine | Yes, registered SDA provider | Yes, registered SIL provider |
Because we hold both, you are not handing your family over to two companies who have never spoken. The landlord and the support team are the same people. Read about our SIL support ›
When an ordinary house is not enough.
Some people have been turned away more than once. A rental that could not cope. A placement that ended after an incident. A family told, politely, that their son or daughter is too complex. If that is your experience, SDA housing exists for exactly this.
Our SDA homes are built and maintained for participants living with intellectual disability, and for those whose behaviours of concern or aggression mean a standard home would not be safe or durable enough. The building is designed to absorb that, so that a difficult day damages a wall and not a tenancy.
And because we also deliver the support inside, nobody is handed between a landlord and a support agency who disagree about whose problem it is. It is one team, and we stay.
How do SDA providers get paid?
SDA is paid for the dwelling, and it does not come out of your support budget. There are three parts, and we set all of them out in writing before anyone moves in.
The NDIS SDA payment
The NDIA pays the SDA provider directly for the home, at a rate set by the dwelling’s design category, building type and location. This is stated in the participant’s plan and is separate from the SIL budget.
The resident’s rent contribution
The resident pays a Reasonable Rent Contribution, generally 25% of the Disability Support Pension plus any Commonwealth Rent Assistance. It works like rent anywhere else, and it is capped.
Everyday living costs
Utilities, food, and personal shopping are paid by the resident, exactly as they would be in any home. Support hours are funded separately again, through SIL.
No hidden fee, no bill from us on top. If a number is not clear, ask us and we will walk you through it line by line.
Looking for an SDA home in Cranbourne?
We keep our homes small, so places are limited and they go quietly. If you are searching for SDA housing for the person you support, tell us what has not worked before, and we will tell you honestly whether we can do better.
SDA: frequently asked questions.
What is an SDA provider?
Is SDA the same as NDIS?
How do SDA providers get paid?
What does SDA in NDIS mean?
What are the differences between SDA providers and SIL providers?
Families who chose Empower and Shine.
“I highly recommend Empower and Shine Disability for their exceptional respite service. Their caregivers are compassionate, professional, and dedicated, creating a safe and inclusive environment where my son felt valued.”
— Bailey Brown, Google review
“A really supportive team that honestly takes the person’s goals into consideration at all times. Have nothing but positive feedback and would highly recommend to any family member or participant eager to find a service that puts the person first.”
— Nick Anassis, Google review
We provide SDA housing and supported living across Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, Botanic Ridge and the wider City of Casey, including Narre Warren, Berwick and Clyde North. Our three SDA homes keep support consistent and personal, with founders Mo and Kaay close to every family.
Looking for an SDA provider in Cranbourne? Let’s talk.
Reach Mo or Kaay directly. No call centre and no queue, simply a straight conversation about SDA housing and whether one of our three homes is the right fit for the person you support.
Registered SDA provider in Cranbourne — places are limited.
Enquire about an SDA vacancy