South Australia (SA) now has 1,770 participants with Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in their plan and 2,348 places in enrolled SDA. These numbers straddle the projected 1,990 of SA’s projected SDA share. During the last quarter, SA lost 53 places of SDA and 7 participants. Supply is beginning to meet demand: a balanced market.
A balanced market, however, is not a mature market. A mature market is where participants can choose, within financial limitations, the type and location of the SDA they want. Such an adjustment to the supply of SDA is likely to take years.
It is worth considering that:
In 2016 2,518 people lived in domestic-scale supported living and supported accommodation facilities in SA. Are some entitled to SDA as a continuation of support, increasing the expected 1,990?
200 places of new SDA is currently being enrolled per quarter. How is this impacting on occupancy levels of existing SDA?
SIL at 2,232 places and adding 50 per quarter is continuing to outstrip SDA. Is there are a demand for SIL houses?
SDA's journey to a mature market will be long, complex and difficult. SA may show the way for many.
