Specialist Disability Accommodation
Introduction
6.1 The lack of affordable, appropriate, safe and secure accommodation for
people with disability is not a new issue. Parliamentary committees have previously
considered the topic in depth.[1]
Indeed, this committee, in an earlier iteration, found that a lack of adequate
accommodation can limit people's ability to fully exercise their individual
choice and control, participate in society, and live an ordinary life like any
other Australian.[2]
6.2
This chapter focuses on the introduction of Specialist Disability
Accommodation (SDA) as a funded support under the NDIS and how it has impacted
the market to date and whether it is likely to achieve its intended outcomes.
SDA and the NDIS
What is SDA
6.3
SDA refers to a new form of capital funding for NDIS participants. SDA
is intended for NDIS participants who require a specialist dwelling that reduce
their need for person-to-person supports, or improve the efficiency of the
delivery of person-to-person supports.[3]
6.4
SDA does not refer to the support services, but instead to the homes in
which these services are delivered.[4]
6.5
SDA support is only available to participants who have an extreme
functional impairment or very high support needs most appropriately met by an
SDA response.[5]
6.6
Like other parts of the NDIS, SDA employs a market-based approach by
making funding available to participants who meet the criteria for SDA, who can
then source the supports they choose from the market.
6.7
In addition to increasing overall funding for specialist disability
accommodation, the introduction of SDA is intended to drive innovation,
competition and growth in the sector, improve outcomes for participants, and
empower individuals to choose where and how they want to live.[6]
Size of the market
6.8
In 2011, the Productivity Commission estimated that around 28 000 people
(or 6 percent of NDIS participants) will required SDA funding at full scheme.[7]
6.9
However, in March 2018, the Summer Foundation, Australian Housing and
Urban Research Institute, and SGS Economics & Planning, used Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare data on state-funded disability service systems
to estimate that there are approximately 50 700 people likely to be found
eligible for SDA. The figure comprises 17 500 people currently living in
supported disability accommodation;
27 000 who are not living in supported accommodation but have very high support
needs; and 6200 under the age of 64 who are living in residential aged care.[8]
6.10
In April 2018, the NDIA considered that the Commission's estimate of six
per cent to be the best current estimate of the number of participants who will
be found eligible for SDA funding, although it acknowledged this may change
over time as the Scheme rolls out.[9]
6.11
The Productivity Commission estimated that at full Scheme, from within
the NDIS' annual $22 billion budget, total funding for SDA is expected to total
approximately $700 million per year.[10]
According to the Summer Foundation, SDA payments will stimulate around $5
billion in private sector investment.[11]
6.12
Prior to the launch of the NDIS, it was estimated that there was enough
existing accommodation for 15 700, implying the need for enough dwellings to
accommodate an additional 12 300 participants.[12]
6.13
These figures vary slightly according to the SDA Market Insights report
by SGS Economics & Planning and Summer Foundation, which says that 17 500
people currently live in supported accommodation, highlighting an existing gap
of 10 500 places across Australia on the basis of current supply.[13]
How does it work?
6.14
The NDIS has changed the way SDA funding is provided. Instead of funding
SDA through centrally managed capital grant programs that provide block funding
to providers, the NDIS provides SDA funding directly to participants after
determining their eligibility and appropriate budget amount.[14]
6.15
Funding to participants is based on consideration of their goals and
preferences, the reasonable and necessary test, SDA eligibility criteria, and
whether SDA represents value-for-money.
6.16
Funding for each eligible participant is included in their NDIS plan,
which describes an amount of SDA funding along with a specific Design Category,
Building Type and locations.[15]
6.17
The methodology used to determine the appropriate amount of funding for
a participant is described in the SDA Rules 2016.
6.18
According to the NDIA, an SDA budget that supports a single resident
dwelling is only likely to be provided to a very small number of participants.[16]
This is because it is not sustainable for the Scheme to maintain participants who
require very high levels of support individually in the community.[17]
6.19
Once a participant has been granted SDA in their plan, they can use
their funding to apply for tenancy in SDA that is already built or contribute
to the costs of their existing family home if it is eligible to be enrolled as
SDA and they have enrolled as an SDA provider.
SDA tenancy
6.20
Participants can use their SDA funding to negotiate a tenancy agreement
for accommodation from an SDA provider. In addition to funding in plans,
tenants must pay a 'reasonable rent contribution' to the property owner which
is 25 per cent of their Disability Support Pension, plus 100 per cent of their
Commonwealth Rent Assistance.[18]
Existing family home
6.21
A participant can choose to use their SDA budget to provide SDA to
themselves by enrolling an existing dwelling where they currently live with
their partner and children. Participants must register as an SDA provider and
enrol the dwelling as SDA compliant for this to occur. A participant who lives
in their own SDA property is not required to have a written agreement in place
and can decide how much of their SDA assistance will pay down loans or other
financing costs.[19]
6.22
However, as stipulated in the SDA Rules 2016, a parental home
(where the participant is the child) is unable to be used for SDA.
How participants find SDA
6.23
The NDIA does not centrally administer placements for participants,
because 'employing a market-based approach to SDA enables greater participant
choice and control and encourages provider innovation'.[20]
Participants are expected to find and apply for appropriate advertised
vacancies, and providers are expected to advertise vacancies and undertake
selection processes.
6.24
Most participants with SDA in their plans have funded support
coordination and support coordinators can help participants to find advertised
vacancies.[21]
6.25
As discussed in Chapter 4, the Provider Finder Tool on the participant
portal can also assist participants to find providers.
6.26
The sector has also responded to the need to connect SDA tenants to
accommodation by developing online solutions. For example, Northcott has
created a platform called NEST, which matches people with disability to a
suitable home for their supports.[22]
Summer Foundation has developed The Housing Hub—an online platform that lists
vacancies for apartments and houses that are owned by housing providers across
NSW, VIC, QLD, and SA.[23]
6.27
However, the Summer Foundation argued that, given that SDA is a new way
of funding disability housing, more should be done by government to bring the
market together.[24]
Types of dwellings
6.28
Apart from determining SDA eligibility and funding levels for
participants, and enrolling compliant dwellings once constructed, the NDIA does
not play a role in selecting or endorsing particular property designs or
developments. Dwellings are enrolled according to the Building Type specified
by the registered provider. Building types include apartments, townhouses,
houses and group homes. There are also currently five SDA design categories
ranging from Basic to High Physical Support.[25]
6.29
Providers must possess a written certification against the SDA design standards,[26]
and dwellings can only be enrolled as SDA once construction is fully complete
and a certificate of occupancy has been issued.[27]
Barriers to grow the SDA housing stock
6.30
Inquiry participants have identified a number of barriers, which are
impeding development of new SDA dwellings, including:
-
Lack of data on SDA demand;
-
Restricted choices for participants;
-
Inability for young people to move out of nursing homes;
-
Lack of clear and consistent information available to investors;
and
-
Pricing review cycle.
Lack of data on SDA
6.31
Considerable upfront capital investment is required for SDA development,
yet the newness of the policy means there is a lack of historical data for
investors to draw upon to inform their decisions. Stakeholders argued that the
NDIA could be doing more to enable a thriving SDA market and provide detailed
information about potential SDA demand.[28]
6.32
As pointed out by National Disability Services, without granular
information on location, building types, and design levels required, properties
are at risk of being built where they are not required or there could be
reluctance to develop at all.[29]
The committee is troubled by reports that a lack of market data might be
responsible for discouraging finance from major banks for SDA developments.[30]
6.33
The committee appreciates that the sector is working to fill the gaps in
information and undertake research as best it can, however, even the Summer
Foundation's recent report on SDA demand is based on 2012 data.[31]
6.34
Indeed, developers in the Townsville region were relying the
Productivity Commission's six per cent estimate to calculate approximate demand
in the area:
The NDIA's Market position statement Queensland May 2016
identified that the number of people eligible for NDIS plans in the Townsville
region by 30 June 2017 was projected to be 5,300. That number, and the
Productivity Commission's modelling stating that around six per cent of all
participants will be eligible for SDA, equates to around 318 eligible
participants in the Townsville region.[32]
6.35
Mr Tony Rutherford, Principal, Moores, expressed the view that without
clearer information, it will be difficult to get investors on board.[33]
6.36
Mr Luke Bo'sher, CEO, Summer Foundation, suggested that a breakdown of
SDA-approved numbers and their requirements by local government area would be
helpful:
I think a consistent theme from just about anyone operating
in the housing space is that more data would help them to move forward and
build more housing. All the NDIA and the Commonwealth have shared is a headline
number of 28,000 people across the country. Recently they published a
state-level breakdown of how many people had been approved so far, but what we
need is much more granular data than that—how many people by local government
area have been approved for SDA and what levels of support they need. That
would be a huge help to people looking to build SDA, because people want to be
building in the right places. They want to be building where people are getting
this approved.[34]
6.37
Detailed information on current demand and supply of SDA, dwelling
enrolments including building type, design category, location, provider type
and occupancy status, and examples of SDA pathways and projects was also
requested.[35]
6.38
According to the Agency, it is endeavouring to provide information on
supply and demand, and has resolved to provide reliable data as it becomes
available.[36]
6.39
As discussed in Chapter 4, The NDIA is working to produce a series of
market insight that provide intelligence on specific sub-markets, cohorts and
themes. The NDIA planned to publish a Market Insight into SDA in the
first half of 2018.[37]
6.40
However, at the time of writing, the Market Insight into SDA is
yet to be published.[38]
Committee view
6.41
As discussed in Chapter 4, the lack of data and market information is
clearly a barrier to market development. Private investors are currently
lacking information about market size, areas where demands will be high and
types of dwellings required to meet demand.
6.42
The committee agrees with stakeholders that the NDIA, as the national
market steward, should be taking leadership on the provision of effective
market information. Provision of effective market information will improve
investor confidence and enable the market to grow to meet the needs of
consumers. The committee is of the view that the NDIA should fulfil its
information provision role as market steward and provide detailed information
about demand and supply of SDA, data on SDA dwelling enrolments including
building type, design category, location, provider type and occupancy status;
and examples of SDA pathways and projects. The committee is of the view this
needs to be current and updated on a regular basis.
Recommendation 25
6.43 The committee recommends the NDIA publish as a matter of urgency the
Market Insights on SDA and commit to publish on an annual basis detailed
information on market demands for SDA.
Restricted choice for participants
Planning process
6.44
The design category, building type and location a participant can look
to reside in is specified in the participant's plan.[39]
6.45
Stakeholders raised concerns that many planners are unsure of the SDA
policy and that there is general uncertainty about how SDA can be incorporated
into a plan in the absence of a specified dwelling type.[40]
6.46
Northcott reported that some plans are not
adequately reflecting participants' needs. It argued that significant stress
had been caused to participants and providers as a result of planners not being
skilled enough.[41]
6.47
Examples provided included:
-
a planner who explained that everyone is eligible for SDA;
-
a planner who advised that the SDA Rule 2016 is out-dated and
does not reflect the current state of affairs; and
-
a planner who expressed concern that if SDA was included before
the dwelling was built that the Registered Provider might claim the SDA
Payments.[42]
6.48 According to the
NDIA, it is aware of feedback and is 'working to improve SDA planning'.[43]
6.49 Summer Foundation suggested that information sessions for
participants be provided by the NDIA to improve their understanding of the SDA
framework. It argued that SDA capacity building should focus
on assisting tenants to understand and manage their tenancy rights and
responsibilities; and building the capacity of mainstream services (such as
tenants unions and administrative tribunals) to better respond to the needs of
people with disabilities accessing their services.[44]
6.50
Because dwellings can only be enrolled as SDA once construction is fully
complete, participants are restricted to choosing from completed dwellings, and
developers have no guarantee of buyers until construction is complete.
6.51
Stakeholders argued that the policy is impeding development of high
quality SDA by making it unnecessarily difficult to match participants with
properties.[45]
6.52
Mr Alan Blackwood, Director, Policy and Innovation, Young People in
Nursing Homes National Alliance, highlighted that the current approach may be
inadvertently fragmenting housing from support by stimulating the creation of
housing without allowing for consideration of support design:
If the intent of the NDIS is to reduce fragmentation and
inequity, trying to actually stimulate a market that builds things without
knowing who's going in and leaves support design as an afterthought is actually
not going to work. We actually need to find ways to make coordination of all
the various inputs part of the system, rather than segment and further fragment
the way that services are designed for people.[46]
6.53
Mr Dan McLennan, CEO, Summer Housing Ltd argued that developers are
currently guessing what participants' functional needs might be:
[M]ost times we don't know what the actual assessment is
going to be from a functional perspective, so we're making our best guess about
whether or not somebody is a high-physical-support tenant or improved
livability or whatever we're trying to shoot for—it's still a guessing game:
will the ultimate funding offer match what's been provided, or will it be put
back on us as a business decision for us to lease the accommodation to someone
with an offer that doesn't match and for us to bear the loss, as opposed to the
individual being funded at a level that matches their choice, their control and
their preference?[47]
Participant Approval and Pre-registration
6.54
In a joint submission to the KPMG review of the SDA framework, 20
organisations, including banks, providers, advocates and people with
disability, called for participants to be approved for the subsidy without
first requiring a particular housing option. Mr Bo'sher argued that this
approach would give greater choice and control to individuals:
People should be approved for SDA and then should be able to
shop around with different providers and different vacancies to be able to find
the one that's right for them. At the moment that's often not how it's working
for people with disability; often they're being told by the NDIA that they have
to wait until there's a particular vacancy for them and then the NDIA puts it
in their plan. Fundamentally, for us the question is: who should decide where
people with disability live? [48]
6.55
Mr Bo'sher argued that prequalification would enable young people in
nursing homes, and children living with ageing parents, to approach SDA
developers with certainty:
One of the challenges that we were just talking about around
young people moving out of aged care is certainly that if we've only got 23 of
the 2,000 people in aged care with this subsidy in their plan, that's a real
barrier for them leaving. It's a little bit the same with children living with
aging parents. It's very hard for them to go and have a conversation with a
developer when they're not even clear about whether they're going to get the
subsidy or not. So that pre-approval is really critical.[49]
6.56
Further, prequalification would help growth in regional and remote
locations by giving developers a clearer indication of the numbers of
SDA-approved participants and their requirements:
There are certainly more being built in outer metro areas
than in remote areas, because providers have to take a risk in building
something and then trying to find someone with a payment who wants to move in.
That's where pre-approval of people and people getting approved and then going
and looking will make those providers in regional and remote areas much more
confident, because they'll actually know who's approved for what in their regional
area.[50]
6.57
It was also suggested that the NDIA should introduce a mechanism to
allow preregistration of dwellings. It was argued that this would assist
developers, by mitigating some of their risk, and help participants by
providing insight into the supply pipeline:
We believe the NDIA should allow preregistration of new SDA
dwellings. This informs the NDIA, as well as participants, of upcoming supply
and gives providers and their banks more certainty of dwelling approval. The
way it works at the moment is a provider has to go and buy land, get the
planning, build the building and get the occupation certificate. Only after all
of that significant risk and investment can the dwelling be registered.
Therefore, it's a massive risk.[51]
6.58
Mr Simmons explained how it might work in practice:
[A]ll I'm suggesting is that everybody that wants to
preregister a dwelling can get a sign-off at plan stage, at construction
certificate stage. They get the plans assessed, they get a certificate to say,
'Yes, as long as the builder builds it to that particular specification, it's
legit,' and then that way it can be preregistered. Then the NDIA has line of
sight: 'Well, that's 12 months away because it takes time to build, but we know
this accommodation is coming and where it is,' and they can also then start
suggesting to planners and the like to refer people that might be in need.[52]
Restricted choice of living arrangements
6.59
Stakeholders raised concerns that the current framework disincentivises
people with disability from living with their families by funding SDA on a
shared basis. In effect, the policy means that SDA providers can make greater
returns on their investment by renting, for example, a two bedroom apartment to
two people with disability rather than one person with disability and their
partner or family.[53]
6.60
Mr McLennan explained that inflexibility in the SDA rules and price
guide requires a majority of bedrooms in a dwelling to meet minimum
requirements even though every bedroom may not be occupied by someone with
disability:
So for...leasing to a participant who has a disability and
their partner who does not, I have to have a two-bedroom apartment with two
fully compliant bedrooms [...]So there's no capacity to have an apartment with
one bedroom that meets all the minimum requirements—it might be platinum
standard—and additional bedrooms which do not, to be occupied, for instance, by
a participant's partner and their children.[54]
6.61
Mr McLennan argued that the current policy may be inadvertently
separating participants from their communities by assuming that people with
disability will live with other people with disability.[55]
6.62
Mr McLennan also contended that an additional dwelling category should
be created in the price guide to allow individuals to live with their families
should they wish to:
We need to create a dwelling category in the SDA price guide
that accommodates a scenario...whereby you can have other residents and other
bedrooms in a dwelling which don't meet the minimum criteria...So we have some
minimum standards but, fundamentally, we don't require the oversized or the
platinum-sized bedrooms, for instance, for non-SDA participant residents.[56]
6.63
Mr McLennan suggested that the price guide should be amended to reflect
market rent rather than assuming the secondary occupant is receiving SDA:
...from a pricing perspective, we need to look at a price
category or a pricing scenario whereby, if you have a family member
accommodating with a participant, the drop in price doesn't drop down to assume
that the other occupant is receiving SDA but drops down to reflect that they're
receiving market rent...if we set it up so the price falls by $15,000 or
something that's closer to a market rental that can be bridged—that's
manageable.[57]
6.64
In response to questions from the committee, the Department of Social
Services (DSS) advised that, where a participant is eligible for SDA, the NDIA
will give consideration to their preferences, including any preference to live
alone. The NDIA is also required under the legislation to give consideration to
a number of other aspects, which may affect the outcome of a plan decision. For
example, the NDIA will give consideration to the most appropriate support model
for a participant and how a particular SDA type enables delivery of the model.[58]
Inability for young people to move out of nursing
home
6.65
Inquiry participants pointed out that the introduction of SDA is yet to
have any clear impact in supporting young people to move out of aged care
facilities. Barriers include inadequate planning process for this cohort and lack
of available new SDA stock.
Planning process
6.66
Young people in nursing homes face additional concerns alongside a lack
of appropriate housing. The main issue raised by stakeholders focused on
underfunded NDIS packages for this cohort.
6.67
Mr Alan Blackwood, Director, Policy and Innovation, Young People in
Nursing Homes National Alliance, argued that the Scheme is inappropriately
relying on existing aged care standards to define reasonable and necessary
supports for residents:
NDIS is the only funder of young people in nursing homes, and
yet they're not fully funding their needs. Someone in a nursing home is
structurally disadvantaged in getting their needs met compared to someone who's
living in the community or in a group home, where the NDIS take a different
view. They're almost using a third party, being the aged-care system, to
determine what is reasonable and necessary, using measurements and systems that
are designed for older people and not fit for purpose at all.[59]
6.68
Mr Blackwood raised concerns that these individuals have unmet health and
personal needs because the aged care system was never designed for them:
We don't want the sector or the committee to think that the
solution to the young people in nursing homes issue is simply finding places to
live. People in nursing homes often have very complex support needs. They live
with health issues. They're people with brain injuries that require
rehabilitation. There are workforce issues and capacity issues within aged care
because aged care was never designed for young people.[60]
6.69
Mrs Deborah Farrell, Senior Advisor Transition Project, Young People in
Nursing Homes National Alliance, highlighted that aged care services do not
have the capacity to build independence of individuals:
So if someone has come into a nursing home having been in
rehab say for six or 12 months, and has continued to build their skills and
capacity, they won't necessarily be supported in that way to be prompted and
encouraged to shower themselves, to do what they can do for themselves.[...] So
we are seeing examples where people will go in from hospital to residential
aged care and within three months have very declining skills.[...]. The
residential aged-care services don't have the capacity to respond to those
individual needs of that younger person to retain what they've gone into
residential aged care with. There is no capacity to build on their skills to
make them more independent.[61]
6.70
Mr Blackwood argued that the NDIA is neglecting its duty to provide
reasonable and necessary support by assuming the current standards are
adequate:
...the NDIS has taken a position that it's not funding the
additional personal support that people need in nursing homes. The way it's
being funded is that they're reimbursing the Department of Health for the
aged-care funding instrument amount in nursing homes but no more. So, although
they're required under their act to fund reasonable and necessary services,
which you'd think is the total quantum of someone's need, they're relying on
the aged-care system and the obligations of aged-care providers under the
aged-care standards to provide everything that the residents need. So we're
seeing a lot of people in nursing homes continue to be underfunded
significantly.[62]
6.71
It was also pointed out that, even if residents wished to move out from
nursing homes, they are unable to because of limited investment for transition.[63]
6.72
Stakeholders argued that greater effort is required to improve the
situation and the interface between the Scheme and other service systems. Mr
Anthony Ryan, CEO, Youngcare, provided an example of the current disconnect:
...Youngcare has at-home-care grants in every state of
Australia. People can apply for something that will keep them in their home and
keep them out of nursing homes, aged care or whatever. A cough assist machine,
for example, is something you can't get under your NDIS plan. They say that's
part of the health system and the health system comes back and says, 'No, that
should be part of your plan.' If you have cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy
and you don't have a cough assist machine, you drown in your own phlegm.[64]
6.73
Stakeholders argued for introducing a specialised and integrated
planning pathway that encompasses the disability, health, and housing systems.
Mr Blackwood pointed out that the current planning process is inappropriate for
this cohort:
You can't just apply a disability-only planning process for
people like this. There has to be health, housing and other systems in a joined
up planning approach. A significant limitation of the planning design is that
it really is only half relevant to this group.[65]
6.74
Mrs Farrell made a similar point:
...there needs to be a whole approach to understanding the
needs of that person...I think you could do it as a streamlined approach if the
NDIS actually put a body of people together. I think it comes down to policy.
It does come down to having a process that actually allows those people to be
taken through a planning process that is different to maybe the norm.[66]
6.75
Stakeholders argued that there are delays in SDA eligibility approvals
by combining the eligibility and dwelling enrolment processes. As a result, only
a small number of eligible participants have had SDA approved to date, even
among those considered SDA 'priority':
Only 23 of the 2,000 young people in aged care in the scheme
have specialist disability accommodation in their plan. Even though those 2,000
people need housing and are a priority group for specialist disability
accommodation, so few of them have funding approved that the supply that's in the
pipeline is greater than the number of people who have funding for that. We
think that's a really important area of focus and framing for this inquiry. The
supply side will work. We've seen investors, institutional capital and
superannuation funds come to the table and want to invest in this. They just
need confidence that the NDIA is going to be approving people for this kind of
funding.[67]
Committee view
Choice of living arrangements
6.76
The committee heard that the current pricing structure may preclude SDA
eligible participants from living with their families. By funding SDA on a
shared basis, there is a financial incentive for SDA providers to rent their
dwellings solely to SDA eligible participants rather than to a SDA eligible
participant and their partner or family. The committee is concerned that this is
restricting choices of living arrangements for SDA eligible participants.
Recommendation 26
6.77
The committee recommends the NDIA examine the SDA pricing
structure to remove restrictions for participants in their choices of living
arrangements.
Planning process
6.78
A lack of clear information and guidance from the NDIA about the SDA
policy is affecting delivery of high quality SDA. Participants must have access
to clear and consistent information and high-quality plans to be empowered in
their housing choices. The committee notes that the lack of knowledge of
planners around SDA is affecting the quality of plans for participants eligible
for SDA. In particular, this is impeding on the ability of young people
residing in aged care facilities to move to appropriate SDA accommodation.
Recommendation 27
6.79 The committee recommends that a specialised team of NDIA planners is
established to accelerate the transition of young people residing in aged care
facilities to appropriate SDA which meets their complex needs.
Lack of clear and consistent information available
to investors
6.80
During its inquiry, the committee heard that investor confidence is
being compromised by an absence of effective and clear information.
Additionally, the uncertainty caused by the scheduled pricing reviews and the
upcoming DRC Pricing & Payments Framework Review.
6.81
The committee is frustrated to hear that, two years after SDA commenced
being included in plans, there is still a lack of clear, consistent information
about the policy and how it operates.[68]
6.82
Inadequate information and support unnecessarily increases the risk of
misinterpretation. The committee is concerned by reports that stakeholders are
relying on their own interpretation of published material and 'hoping they are
interpreting them correctly'.[69]
6.83
The committee heard there have been cases where SDA property owners had
entered into agreements with participants who were then subsequently found
ineligible for supports.[70]
6.84
The Agency's inability to provide clarity when approached was also
criticised.[71]
The committee heard that regional NDIA managers are often busy with other
matters and that there are no discrete SDA managers for stakeholders to contact
for advice.[72]
SDA Provider and Investor Brief
6.85
In an effort to improve the clarity of available information, the NDIA
released the SDA Provider and Investor Brief on 24 April 2018. The brief
provides information on:
-
price reviews;
-
eligibility and funding levels for SDA;
-
innovations made possible by SDA funding; and
-
dwelling standards and enrolment.[73]
6.86
Unfortunately, the release of the brief appears to have the opposite
intended effect:
What we're sitting on here, nationally, is a situation where
you've got others who are lining up, wanting to come in and help and assist,
but they're petrified of coming in because they're saying, 'Is it going to be
changed once again?' That is the issue that's taking place from an
investor-developer perspective... The report [of 24 April] was supposed to create
confidence. That was the purpose of it, but it actually did the complete
opposite. It stalled. Therefore, any more language that comes out has to be
explicit around the type of market you're trying to create.[74]
6.87
The committee heard that some investors chose to freeze their SDA
investments following release of the report:
...that day we had a call from four very strong investment
groups that a number of the people in this room had been working with over a
long period of time. We got a phone call at 4.30 that afternoon from all four
of them, saying, 'We are freezing our investment in SDA stock.'[...] it really
dented the confidence. The SDA stock and the rollout over the next three or
four years is going to rely on confidence and language—strong, confident
language—to allow people to be able to understand what the risk is on the
investment.[75]
6.88
In response to questions from the committee, the DSS advised that the SDA
Provider and Investor Brief does not represent a change in policy and that
the NDIS Act and the SDA Rules (agreed by all governments) have not changed.
The department advised that each plan decision will continue to be made on an
individual basis according to the SDA Rules and the NDIS Act. The NDIA will
give consideration to any preference to live alone, and is required to give
consideration to a number of other aspects, for example, the most appropriate
support model for a participant and how a particular SDA type enables delivery
of the model.[76]
Pricing reviews
6.89
All compliant SDA dwellings have a maximum price that the Agency will
pay that is based on the dwelling's type, location, size and level of
accessibility.[77]
These price limits provide a ceiling up to which participants can negotiate
with SDA providers.[78]
6.90
Scheduled pricing reviews are intended to assess whether the formula
remains adequate, reflects the costs of providing SDA, and provides an
attractive rate of return to investors. The first review will focus on the
broader policy surrounding SDA pricing and payments, and assess whether the
policy has been successful at stimulating supply. The SDA Pricing and
Payments Framework review is due to be completed in August 2018 and to
report to the Disability Reform Council in September 2018.[79]
6.91
After this, periodic pricing reviews are scheduled to be conducted every
five years by the NDIA, with price limit changes from the first review to apply
to all dwellings from 2021. According to the Agency, the review cycle is
intended to strike a balance between providing investment surety and ensuring
price regulation arrangements are sufficiently flexible to accommodate new
data.[80]
6.92
The review cycle received criticism for discouraging investors and
financiers and inhibiting SDA growth. Summer Foundation pointed out that
reviewing the pricing framework within three years and reviewing prices every
five years means that a project on the drawing board today to be completed in
2019 provides only two years of price certainty.[81] A case example was provided
from an SDA developer:
(We) had a potential private investor interested in a
multiple dwelling SDA development. They own land which would have been suitable
in a good location and would have funded the project. We had many discussions
with them and they were very keen. Unfortunately when they investigated the
detail of the SDA Payments and they saw the risk associated with not knowing
what would happen to SDA Base Rates after the 2021 (5 year) Price Review they
lost interest in the project and pulled out.[82]
6.93
Mr Simmons told the committee that developers would rather wait than
begin SDA projects in the current landscape:
Anecdotal evidence suggests that new SDA supply has stalled
nationally. I hear lots of feedback that potential SDA providers are sitting back
and watching because it's too risky to build right now.[83]
6.94
Scope Australia argued that in order to attract institutional
investment, SDA payments should be made at a guaranteed rate for twenty years
rather than five as is the current arrangement.[84]
The supply of SDA does not meet current demand owing to the
shortage of suitable housing stock. For this to be done at scale, and with the
appropriate separation of SIL and SDA, there need to be sufficient incentives
provided by government to attract institutional investment. While SDA payments
under the Scheme are generally adequate, these payments need to be made at a
guaranteed rate for twenty years, rather than five as is the current
arrangement.[85]
6.95
Summer Foundation, argued that prices should be set for a ten year
period:
There's some work around the framework and the rules for
specialist disability accommodation and providing a bit more funding certainty.
Rather than five-year price reviews, we think prices should be set for a
10-year period.[86]
6.96
Ability Options suggested either grandfathering payments from when a new
build is registered or capping the potential maximum price movement allowed at
reviews:
In order to stimulate further supply of SDA, we have been
advocating throughout 2017 that there must be greater certainty around SDA
payments. In particular, SDA payments either need to be “grandfathered” from
the date a new build is registered or there needs to be a range set for the
maximum price movement possible at a price review. Without one of these approaches
there simply is not enough certainty of price continuity for banks or other
financiers / investors to make investment decisions which in turn reduces
supply.[87]
Committee view
6.97
The committee has reservations as to whether the current framework truly
empowers participants to choose how and where they want to live. As discussed,
participants are restricted to choosing from completed and enrolled SDA
properties. As a result, their ability to work with investors and SDA providers
to find a dwelling that meets their needs and their choice of living
arrangements are limited.
6.98
The committee agrees with stakeholders that introducing a mechanism to
allow prequalification of SDA-eligible participants would provide greater
certainty to developers, investors, and participants. Prequalification would
allow participants to approach developers at an earlier point and provide input
into support design. The committee is of the view that prequalification could
be achieved by making it clear that once a participant's eligibility for SDA support
is established; it is ongoing and not subject to annual reviews.
Recommendation 28
6.99
The committee recommends that when a person is deemed eligible
for SDA, this eligibility should be considered ongoing and not subject to
change under the participant's annual planning processes.
6.100
The committee is also supportive of the suggestion that developments
should be allowed to be preregistered at plan stage on the proviso they are
built to agreed specifications. The committee recommends the NDIA undertake
consultation with the sector to review the current framework for SDA enrolment
and registration with the view of introducing a mechanism for prequalification
and preregistration to stimulate construction of new SDA stock and enabling
more choices of dwelling types for participants.
Recommendation 29
6.101 The committee recommends the NDIA undertake consultation with the
sector to review the current framework for SDA enrolment and registration with
the view of introducing a mechanism for preregistration to stimulate
construction of new SDA stock and enabling more choices of dwelling types for
participants.
Hon Kevin Andrews MP
Chair
Senator Alex Gallacher
Deputy Chair
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