Homes and vacancies
SIL, ILO, SDA or rooming: which fits you?
NDIS home and living · Plain English guide
The short answer: SIL and ILO pay for support at home, SDA pays for a specially built home, and rooming accommodation is a room you rent. Most people combine a place to live with a separate support arrangement.
The options side by side
| Option | What it pays for | Who it often suits | Parcare offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Independent Living (SIL) | Support with daily life at home, often around the clock. Rent and board are paid separately. | People who need support for much of the day, in a shared or individual home | SIL in Brisbane, Redland City and Logan |
| Individualised Living Options (ILO) | A support package designed around how you want to live: with a host, with a housemate who gives some support, or on your own with support close by | People who want a more flexible, personal arrangement than a group home | ILO design and support |
| Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) | The home itself: a dwelling built or modified for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Support is a separate arrangement. | People whose plan includes SDA funding | Support in SDA homes, through a separate agreement |
| Rooming accommodation | A room you rent in a rooming house under a Queensland rooming accommodation agreement (Form R18), paid from your own income. Supports are a separate agreement. | People who want their own room close to support and community | Nandala Drive, Tanah Merah, expected from 30 November 2026 |
| Short term accommodation (STA) and respite | A short stay away from home, with support, for a break or a change | Participants and families who need a planned break | STA and respite |
SIL: support at home, not the home
SIL funds the support you need to live as independently as you can: personal care, meals, medication prompts, household tasks and overnight support. It is paid from the Core supports in your NDIS plan when the NDIA agrees it is reasonable and necessary. The rent is yours to pay, and with Parcare your tenancy and your supports are separate agreements, so changing providers never means losing your home.
ILO: support designed around you
ILO starts with an exploration and design stage, where you work out where and how you want to live and who will be part of it. The support model that comes out of it can be a host arrangement, a housemate who gives some informal support, or living alone with drop in and on call support. It suits people who want something more personal than a shared house.
SDA: a home built for very high needs
SDA funding pays for the dwelling, not the support. SDA homes are built to one of four design categories: Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, Robust and High Physical Support. If you live in SDA, your daily support (often SIL) comes from a provider you choose under a separate agreement.
Rooming accommodation: your own room, your own lease
In Queensland a rooming house is covered by the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008, and residents sign a rooming accommodation agreement (Form R18). You pay rent from your own income, and your NDIS supports are a separate agreement with your provider. Our new homes at Nandala Drive, Tanah Merah are rooming accommodation, expected from 30 November 2026.
How to find a vacancy
- Check that your plan includes the funding: SIL, ILO or SDA appear in your plan when the NDIA has approved them
- Ask your support coordinator to help with a home and living request if they do not
- Look at current vacancies, then visit: the home, the housemates and the team matter as much as the funding
- Keep housing and support separate wherever you can, so you can change one without losing the other
Parcare’s current SIL, ILO and rooming vacancies in Logan, Brisbane south and Redland City are on the vacancies page.
What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SIL pays for support at home. SDA pays for the home itself, for people with very high support needs. Many people in SDA also have SIL, from a provider they choose separately.
What is the difference between SIL and ILO?
SIL usually means rostered support in a shared or individual home. ILO is a package designed around how you want to live, such as with a host or a supportive housemate, and starts with an exploration and design stage.
Does SIL pay my rent?
No. SIL funds support. Rent and board are paid from your own income.
Can I keep my home if I change support provider?
With Parcare, yes. Your tenancy and your supports are separate agreements.
Get started
Let's find the right support together.
Tell us what you need and we will answer every question, with no pressure and no jargon. Participants, families, support coordinators and health professionals are all welcome.