NDIS supported accommodation
SIL vs ILO vs SDA: what's the difference?
Two of these pay for support and one pays for the building. Here is how SIL, ILO and SDA compare, and how to tell which one fits.
SIL and ILO are both NDIS funding for support in your home. SDA is different: it is funding for the home itself, a specially built property for people with very high support needs. Supported Independent Living (SIL) pays for support workers on a shared roster, around the clock. Individualised Living Options (ILO) pays for a support arrangement you design, often living with a host or a housemate. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) covers the building, not the people who help you in it.
The quickest way to remember it: SDA is bricks, SIL and ILO are people. Many people in SDA also have SIL in their plan, because SDA on its own includes no support at all.
A note before going further. Trailblazer provides SIL and ILO in South East Queensland. We do not provide SDA, and we don't own or enrol SDA properties. We also don't provide support coordination or plan management. We've written this guide because families ask us about all three, and the answer affects which provider you should be talking to.
How SIL, ILO and SDA compare
Each one answers a different question. SIL answers "who helps me every day in a shared home?". ILO answers "how do I set up a living arrangement that suits me?". SDA answers "where can I live if a standard house won't work for my disability?".
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
SIL is funding for a support worker to help or supervise you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. According to the NDIS SIL page, it suits people who need help with daily activities for a large part of the day, plus some support for the remaining hours, including overnight.
Most people in SIL live with other participants and share support, at a ratio such as 1:2 or 1:3. The provider runs the roster. You pay your own rent and living costs. From 1 October 2026, SIL must be delivered by a registered provider.
Our full explainer covers what SIL is and how SIL funding works.
Individualised Living Options (ILO)
ILO funding helps you choose where you live, who you live with and how you're supported. The NDIS ILO page describes two common arrangements: living in the home of a host, or sharing your home with a housemate who gives some support.
ILO happens in two stages. In stage 1 you work with a provider to explore and design the arrangement, which usually takes between 30 and 100 hours. In stage 2 the arrangement is set up and running, with primary supports, extra supports when needed, and regular checks that it's working.
ILO may suit you if you're 18 or over (or 17 and planning ahead) and need formal or informal support at home for at least 6 hours a day. Like SIL, it doesn't pay for rent, a mortgage or everyday costs like food and power.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
SDA is housing for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. The NDIS SDA page gives examples like wide doorways, ceiling hoists and button-operated doors. Homes must be enrolled with the NDIA by a registered SDA provider, and they're built to one of four design categories: Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, Robust and High Physical Support.
SDA funding goes to the SDA provider for the property. You still pay a rent contribution and your bills. And SDA doesn't include any personal care, SIL or ILO. Those are funded separately.
Here is the short version side by side:
- SIL: paid support, 24/7, usually shared with housemates
- ILO: a support arrangement you design, often with a host or housemate
- SDA: the building, built to a disability design standard
- SIL and ILO: you pay rent and living costs yourself
- SDA: you pay a rent contribution, and the NDIS funds the rest of the property cost
- SDA: needs separate support funding, often SIL
Can you have SIL and SDA at the same time?
Yes, and it's common. The NDIA says many participants living in SDA also have SIL funding. In that setup, SDA funding pays the property provider, SIL funding pays the support provider, and you pay rent and bills.
The SDA provider and the SIL provider can be two separate organisations. That separation can actually help. If the support isn't working for you, you can change your SIL provider without having to move house.
There's one more option you may hear about in some SDA apartment buildings. Onsite shared support (OSS) is unplanned help from a worker based in the building, for people living alone in an SDA apartment. You can't have OSS and SIL in the same plan, because they would cover the same need.
Can you have SIL and ILO together?
They are two different ways of funding support where you live, so the NDIA looks at which one meets your needs rather than funding the same support twice. ILO tends to suit people who want a more individual setup, such as living with a host family, and who need less than round-the-clock paid support. SIL suits people who need support available all day and night.
If you're not sure which fits, the NDIA's SIL guideline says ILO "can be a good place to start". Your my NDIS contact can talk through both with you.
Talk to a registered nurse-led team
Call 1300 822 333 or send a referral. We reply to every enquiry within 12 to 24 hours.
Asking a question does not commit you to anything.
Which option fits your situation?
These are rough guides, not decisions. The NDIA decides what goes in your plan, based on evidence of your support needs. No provider can approve NDIS funding, so be careful if one tells you they can.
- You need help through the day and someone there overnight, and you're happy to share a home. SIL in a shared house is often the fit. Our SIL page shows how we run it.
- You'd like to live with a host, a housemate or in your own place, with support built around you. Look at ILO. Our ILO page explains our part in it.
- A standard house physically can't meet your needs, for example you need ceiling hoists or very high physical support. Ask about SDA eligibility, and expect to need support funding as well.
- You need somewhere to stay while a long-term home is being sorted, such as after a hospital stay. That's usually Medium Term Accommodation (MTA). For a short break or respite, see Short Term Accommodation (STA).
What Trailblazer provides, and what we don't
We provide SIL, ILO, MTA and STA supports, with clinical oversight from a registered nurse. Our two shared homes are on Logan Reserve Road in Waterford West, and current rooms are listed on our vacancies page.
We don't provide SDA. If you need an SDA property, the NDIA's SDA finder lists enrolled homes with vacancies, and your support coordinator can help you search. We also don't provide support coordination or plan management, so please keep working with your own coordinator or plan manager. We're happy to talk with them.
For ILO, we can work with you on both stages, from exploring and designing the arrangement to providing the support once it's running.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between SIL and SDA?
SDA is the housing and SIL is the support. SDA funding pays for a specially designed property for people with very high support needs. SIL funding pays for support workers who help you at home, 24/7. Many people have both, with one provider owning the SDA home and another delivering the SIL support.
What is the difference between SIL and ILO?
SIL is round-the-clock paid support, usually shared with housemates and rostered by a provider. ILO is a support arrangement you design with a provider, often living with a host or a housemate who gives some of the support. ILO suits people needing at least 6 hours of support a day who want a more individual setup.
Does Trailblazer provide SDA?
No. Trailblazer provides SIL and ILO supports in South East Queensland, and our two shared homes in Waterford West are not SDA. If you need SDA, the NDIA's SDA finder lists enrolled properties, and your support coordinator can help. We can still talk with you about support if you live in SDA.
Do I pay rent if I have SDA funding?
Yes. SDA funding goes to the property provider, but you still pay a reasonable rent contribution and your day-to-day bills, such as electricity. The NDIA sets a maximum on the rent contribution an SDA provider can charge, and the amount should be written into your service agreement.
Can I get SDA without SIL?
SDA and SIL are funded separately, so having one doesn't mean you'll get the other. Most people who qualify for SDA need significant support too, which might be SIL, personal care or, for people living alone in some SDA apartments, onsite shared support. The NDIA looks at how all your supports work together.
Talk to a registered nurse-led team
Call 1300 822 333 or send a referral. We reply to every enquiry within 12 to 24 hours.
Asking a question does not commit you to anything.