Community housing – an option supporting disability housing and interdependence
In this article, Dr Raelene West discusses community housing for people with disability exploring housing options, noting that a home is made of more than bricks and mortar.
“A home is central to a person’s dignity, autonomy, independence and wellbeing. It is also a fundamental human right. Articles 19 and 28 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) require States Parties to recognise the rights of people with disability to live in the community, with choices equal to others, and to have adequate housing” [1].
Community housing is increasingly becoming an option for people with disability trying to find affordable housing. Community housing is secure, affordable, long term rental housing managed by not-for-profit organisations for people on low incomes or with special needs [2]. Community housing providers are registered and regulated by state/territory governments. Some specialise in helping specific groups, like people with a disability, women, singles and older people. Community housing provides different types of housing depending on the needs and preferences of a family or individual [3].
Community housing renters sign a residential rental agreement and have the same rights under the Victorian Residential Tenancies Act 1997 as public housing renters and private renters. The agreement outlines the rights and responsibilities of the community housing organisation (as residential rental provider) and renter. If you want to make a complaint, you must first try to resolve the complaint with the community housing organisation, and if the matter isn't resolved, you have the right to ask the Housing Registrar to investigate the matter [4].
Although a part of Social Housing, Community Housing differs from Social Housing in that Social Housing is short and long-term rental housing that is usually owned and run by a state/territory government. Social Housing is for people on low incomes who need housing, especially those who have recently experienced homelessness, family violence or have other special needs [5].
Social and Community Housing differ from disability specific service providers (both profit or not-for-profit, registered or non-registered) in that disability specific service providers usually manage the housing asset as well as providing disability support services to people with disability in that house (e.g. most group house settings). Community Housing providers, in contrast, are only tenancy mangers of the housing assets [which they may own or lease], and do not provide disability services into a house [6]. All though are subject to regulatory compliance by the NDIA and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission where NDIS funded services are provided (including if it is only a tenancy arrangement involving Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding) [7].
Community Housing is increasingly being thought of as another option for people with disability exploring housing options. As noted above, Community Housing providers offer different types of housing depending on the needs and preferences of the family or individual. This may suit many people with disability, who after finding a suitable housing option with a Community Housing provider, may wish to bring an existing support team across to the new accommodation with them, or who may wish to start with a new disability service provider unrelated to their tenancy arrangements. As noted in the DRC, [ideally] “SDA is funded separately from the provision of support services for participants. This means that, in principle, participants may change their support provider without changing their accommodation provider, and vice versa” [8].
An additional benefit is that Community Housing is an option for non-SDA participants. Although Community Housing providers must be an NDIS registered provider if they receive SDA funding, many housing options are available for non-SDA participants where Commonwealth Rental Assistance plus a set but reduced amount of income or Disability Support Pension is paid to the Community Housing providers. Rent in this scenario is outside and independent from an NDIS plan and budget.
All humans, whether disabled or not, have a right to housing options. Once the bricks and mortar are decided on, we are then all inter-dependent on each other for levels of support, wellness and relationships. Community Housing, like any housing option, doesn’t create ‘independence’ where you are away from others or on your own now - it creates a base from which people can make choices about their lives, who is in their lives, who and how will their support be provided, how the house is run and what community engagement they’d like to have (employment, relationship, leisure activities) - hopefully in a safe and secure setting [9]. Housing is an extremely important element in the lives of people with disability – and like everyone else, having options is a good thing. What we need to remember as a society is that like everyone else, people with disability are also reliant on each other once the bricks and mortar are decided on.
References
[1] Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (2023) Australian Government, Canberra, https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2023-09/Final%20Report%20-%20Volume%207%2C%20Inclusive%20education%2C%20employment%20and%20housing%20-%20Part%20C.pdf Vol 7, Part C p536
[2] Community Housing (2025) Victorian Government, Melbourne, https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/community-housing
[3] ibid
[4] ibid
[5] Social Housing (2025) Victorian Government, Melbourne, https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/social-housing
[6] Apply for Social Housing (2025) Victorian Government, Melbourne, https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/apply-social-housing
[7] Home and Living Compliance – NDIS (2025) Australian Government, Canberra, https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/6960-home-and-living-compliance-activity-underway
[8] Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (2023) Australian Government, Canberra, https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/2023-09/Final%20Report%20-%20Volume%207%2C%20Inclusive%20education%2C%20employment%20and%20housing%20-%20Part%20C.pdf Vol 7, Part C p542
[9] Keith McVilly, ‘Individual Supported Living’ Talks That Matter (2024) https://www.talksthatmatter.net/home-1?fbclid=IwY2xjawJehzdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHjKkrL8HTGdLsUEZ3QQgVNAPsD74WHW5--iNgBRwdMfe7o6TBaCLmT5G9QSr_aem_9S30QWRP1cMy32oJSFc_sA&wix-vod-video-id=sBBv-O06i6k&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-m0ul6dxo
About the author:
Raelene West is a Research Fellow at the Melbourne Disability Institute – University of Melbourne. Her research field is critical disability studies, with a focus on delivery of support services. Dr West has also been involved in disability advocacy, has lived experience of disability and has been on numerous disability committees. She has worked for several years on various disability and aged care research studies, and has coauthored 8 published journal articles and 7 major reports.