SIL vs Group Home: What’s the Difference (and Which Is Right)? (2026)
Last updated: September 2026 | By Mo & Kaay Vig | 7 min read
The short answer: SIL — Supported Independent Living — is the NDIS’s redesign of the group home model. “Group home” is the older word for shared disability housing; SIL is what the NDIS funds today, rebuilt around one idea the old model missed: the person’s choice. A SIL home is still usually shared, still staffed — but the supports are designed around the individual’s goals, not the roster.
If you’ve searched both terms and landed here confused, that’s expected — families use “group home” and “SIL” interchangeably, providers don’t always explain the history, and the funding rules changed under everyone’s feet. This guide separates them honestly: what a group home was, what SIL changed, who each genuinely suits, and how people move between them.
Key Takeaways
– SIL is the successor, not a rival. “Group home” describes the pre-NDIS model of shared, staffed disability housing; SIL is the NDIS-funded version of the same idea — with individualised supports, goal-based funding and participant choice built in.
– The homes can look identical. The difference is the model: who directs the support, how it’s funded, and whether it follows the person’s goals.
– You can get SIL without a group setting — and SIL can also happen in a group home. The funding follows the support needs, not the building type.
– SDA is a separate thing again — it funds the specialist dwelling, not the support (see our guides: SIL vs SDA and What is SDA housing?).
– Transitioning is possible and normal — supports are portable, and moving from an old-model group home to a SIL arrangement is a pathway we walk families through every month.
What is a group home in Australia?
A group home is shared disability accommodation — typically a house where a small number of people with disability live together with rostered staff support. In Australia the model grew through the 1980s–2000s as the large institutions closed: it was, genuinely, progress — ordinary houses in ordinary streets instead of institutions.
But the model had a structural problem: the service ran the house. Rosters, routines, housemates and rules were set by the provider and the funding system. Residents chose from what was already there. Families who lived through it know the strengths (24/7 staff, shared costs, community location) and the frustrations (little say over who you live with, who supports you, or how your day runs).
What SIL changed
When the NDIS arrived, it didn’t ban group homes — it rebuilt the funding around them. Supported Independent Living is NDIS funding for the support a person needs to live independently in their chosen home, most often shared. The shift:
| Old group home model | SIL (the NDIS model) | |
|---|---|---|
| **Who directs it** | The provider and the roster | The participant’s plan and goals |
| **How it’s funded** | Block funding to the service | Individualised funding attached to the person |
| **Who you live with** | Allocated by the service | Chosen and matched (with support to decide) |
| **The support** | What the house provides | What the assessment says you need |
| **Portability** | Tied to the place | Follows the person between homes |
The building didn’t change — the power did. That’s why “is SIL the same as a group home?” has the answer it does: sometimes yes, sometimes no. A shared, staffed SIL home looks like a group home; a person receiving SIL in their family home, or alone with drop-in support, looks nothing like one.
The honest history: why group homes got criticised
The criticism is fair and worth saying plainly. Reviews of the legacy model found:
- Choice was thin — housemates, staff and routines were decided for residents, not with them.
- Support was uniform — everyone followed the house schedule because the roster couldn’t do otherwise.
- Privacy and dignity suffered — shared everything, by default, forever.
The NDIS’s designers read those reviews. SIL’s individualised funding, goal-based plans and participant choice are the direct response. That doesn’t make every SIL home perfect, and it doesn’t make every old group home bad — some legacy services were excellent. But it explains why the words changed and what the new word promises.
Whom each option genuinely suits
A shared SIL home suits: people who want company and 24/7 support, whose needs are well-matched to a small household, and who want their support designed around their own goals.
SIL without a group setting suits: people living with family who need daily support at home, or those managing well with less intensive arrangements — the funding follows the need.
A legacy group home (where it still operates) may suit: someone settled and happy where they are — stability matters, and nobody should be moved for ideology. But every resident of an old-model service has the right to ask what individualised funding would change for them.
Unsure which describes the person you support? That’s a conversation, not a form — and it’s the kind we have weekly.
Transitioning: from group home to SIL (or between SIL homes)
The fear we hear most: “moving means losing everything — carers, routine, housemates.” In practice:
- Supports are portable. SIL funding attaches to the person, not the address. A planned move keeps the funding.
- Continuity is negotiable. At Empower and Shine we keep consistent, familiar workers around each person — transitions are staged, not sudden.
- The pathway: review current supports → identify what’s working → find the right home → stage the move → settle with the same faces. (Our SIL service page shows how we run it across Cranbourne and Botanic Ridge.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SIL the same as a group home?
Sometimes. A shared SIL home looks like a group home — the difference is the model: individualised, goal-based funding directed by the participant’s plan rather than a service running a house.
What is a group home in Australia?
Shared disability accommodation — a house where a small number of people live together with rostered staff support. The pre-NDIS model; many still operate.
What is another name for a group home?
Shared supported accommodation, residential care, and — under the NDIS — the supported-living model it became. “Group home” is the everyday word families still use.
Why did group homes get criticised?
Thin choice, uniform rosters, and shared-everything defaults. Reviews found residents had too little say over housemates, staff and daily life — the exact gaps SIL’s individualised funding was designed to fix.
Are group homes still funded under the NDIS?
Existing group homes continue, and residents’ supports can attract NDIS funding. But the NDIS doesn’t fund new block-funded “group homes” — it funds SIL, the individualised version.
Does NDIS give you housing?
Only in one sense: SDA — Specialist Disability Accommodation — for eligible participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Otherwise the NDIS funds support, not housing. See our SDA housing guide.
What is a SIL accommodation?
A home — shared or solo — where a person receives SIL-funded day-to-day support: personal care, meals, medication, routines, skill-building. The funding pays for the support workers, not the house. Our what is SIL guide covers it in depth.
Is SIL the same as SDA?
No. SIL funds the support workers; SDA funds the specialist dwelling itself. They’re assessed separately and often used together. Full comparison: SIL vs SDA.
Is SDA the same as NDIS?
No. The NDIS is the national scheme; SDA is one funding category inside it — the only housing the NDIS funds.
Is a group home the same as SDA housing?
No. A group home is a support model (staffed shared living); SDA is specialist housing for people with very high needs — and SDA homes are usually paired with SIL support. See What is SDA housing?
How much does NDIS pay for accommodation?
For eligible participants, the NDIS pays SDA provider rates set by the SDA pricing arrangements (by category, building type and location). The participant pays a capped rent contribution plus bills. Full breakdown in our SDA guide.
Can I get SIL without living in a group home?
Yes — SIL follows the person. It can fund support in your family home, your own rental, or a solo arrangement. Most SIL is shared because it’s cost-effective, not because it’s required.
Can I change my support without moving house?
Often, yes — if the provider changes or the plan is varied, supports can change while the address stays. Portability is one of SIL’s core improvements over the old model.
Can I transition between a group home and SIL?
Yes, and it’s common — planned moves keep the funding attached to the person, with continuity of workers staged through the change.
How do I move from a group home to SIL?
Review current supports, identify what’s working, find the right home, stage the move, settle with familiar faces. Start with a conversation — with us or your my NDIS contact.
How many people live in a SIL home?
Usually a small household — two to four residents with shared support. Our own SIL homes in Cranbourne and Botanic Ridge are deliberately small, keeping consistency and dignity.
Group home vs SIL — which is right?
It depends on the person: the need for company versus solitude, the intensity of support, and — most of all — what they want their home life to be. That’s a conversation, not a checklist.
Where is the best place to live if you’re on disability?
There’s no universal “best” — the right option depends on support needs, goals and the people around them. The NDIS framework offers a spectrum: family home with support, shared SIL, solo living, or SDA housing for very high needs. Matching the option to the person is the whole job.
The takeaway
“Group home” and “SIL” describe the same human need — a real home with real support — before and after the NDIS redesigned who holds the power. The words matter less than the questions: who chooses, who directs the support, and whether the home fits the person.
If you’re weighing the options in Cranbourne or Melbourne’s south-east — or planning a transition from an old-model service — talk to Mo or Kaay directly. You’ll reach the founders, not a call centre.
Let’s find the right home, together
Sources: NDIS, Types of home and living supports and participant home-and-living guidance (ndis.gov.au, retrieved 18 September 2026). Historical model context from published Australian disability-sector reviews of shared accommodation; practice descriptions are Empower and Shine’s own service model.
Empower and Shine provides Supported Independent Living (SIL), Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Respite/Short Term Accommodation, and Community Access services to NDIS participants with existing funding. We welcome self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed participants. NDIS Registration Number: 4050138437.