In the midst of Australia's ongoing housing crisis and persistently high building costs, those seeking Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) are often overlooked despite the significant impact on some of the country's most vulnerable people living with disabilities or mobility challenges.
Rather than simply acknowledging the crisis facing the SDA sector, Vito Russo, founder and CEO of VanHomes, Australia's oldest and largest manufacturer of expandable homes, took decisive action to create a meaningful change. He led the initiative to design and construct an SDA-compliant version of their expanding VanHome, ensuring it adheres to the rigorous standards required of traditional SDA homes. After more than a year of dedicated work-hundreds of design drafts and close collaboration with SDA-certifying specialists-the VanHomes engineering team successfully created a final design. This groundbreaking solution offers high-quality, accessible housing for individuals with disabilities, addressing a crucial and underserved need in the market.
"We are proud to introduce our SDA- Compliant model of our VanHomes. This reflects our commitment to inclusivity and innovation. Russo said.
"Our goal is to offer practical and affordable housing solutions that enhance the quality of life for all Australians including people living with disability, ensuring everyone can have access to safe and comfortable living spaces.
Demand for our NDIS SDA-compliant VanHomes is soaring. People are contacting us in incredible distress. They have loved ones who have been waiting for suitable NDIS specialist disability accommodation for a long time. When they speak to us, they can't believe that they can install an instant SDA NDIS funded home in their backyard for a reasonable amount of money.
It is the ideal outcome. Rather than wait or send their loved one off into a shared house environment or even worse, into a nursing home, they can install an instant home in their backyard that is suitable for their needs.
Their loved one then has the privacy and independence of their own home while still being close to family and support." Russo said.
La Trobe University recently published a study that found existing supply of specialist disability accommodation (SDA) needs to grow by 60 percent to house the 28,000 people the NDIS expects to fund. The report identified another 33,200 people with very high support needs who may require SDA on top of the 17,500 already in this form of housing.
"Families cannot wait forever to find suitable specialist disability accommodation for their loved ones, so they are turning to instant housing to create an immediate solution. This often involves placing a relocatable and expandable home in their backyard which meets NDIS requirements so their loved ones can live in their own home close to family but on their own independent terms," Russo said.
The NDIS explains Specialist Disability Accommodation as housing designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA dwellings have accessible features to help residents live more independently and allow other supports to be delivered better or more safely. To be eligible for SDA, NDIS participants have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs and meet the specialist disability accommodation needs requirement and the NDIS funding criteria.
"With the extreme shortage in suitable accommodation, people are turning to instant homes. We have created a specific range for disability accommodation. These have been designed to meet the needs of people living with disability. They are also ideal for the elderly," Russo said.
"They include wider corridors, internal and external grab rails and external, handheld showers or hob- less showers, specially designed kitchens, lever handled taps and door handles, doors suitable for wheelchairs, access ramps, wheelchair accessible paths; and large rocker switches."
Relocatable and expandable homes are available in various sizes, colors, and finishes. The interiors can be tailored to suit any design preference, with the added ability to accommodate the needs of individuals living with disabilities or mobility challenges. These homes can be fitted with finishes and fixtures that cater to any budget, ranging from economical to luxurious. Additional features like gardens, verandahs, and more can be incorporated to enhance both the entryway and surrounding areas of the home. The possibilities for creating a beautiful and functional living space are only limited by imagination.
In many regions across Australia, councils classify relocatable and expandable homes on wheels as caravans due to their towable nature and ease of setup on-site. This classification often means that no building approvals are required.
Russo sheds light on why relocatable and expandable homes are becoming increasingly popular and why they are ideal for those seeking specialist accommodation solutions. If you have a driveway, side access or room at the back of your property, then you can have a relocatable expanding home. They arrive the same width as a caravan and once in place in the backyard can then be expanded out to provide up to 59 sqm of living space. That is bigger than some Sydney apartments.
"They really are instant housing and can be curated and customised to achieve any type of features and look you want," Russo said.
Relocatable VanHomes comprise studios through to three-bedroom mobile mansions. They range in price from $70,000 up to $165,000, so they are incredibly affordable. With clever interior design and furniture choices the space can be optimised to create a better living environment than a traditional home, and the best of all is that if you ever want to move to a different area, you can take your VanHome with you as they can be easily relocated by towing them with a large 4WD or light truck.
This article originally appeared in The Northern Rivers Times (Edition 222).