Setting NDIS Housing Goals

Why do I want to move to a new home?

Knowing WHY you want to move out of home is important. It is important for you and anyone else who is going to be part of this journey with you.  

What will you need to prepare for?

• You will need to tell the people you are living with that you want to move out.
• They may ask why and you will need to tell them.
   

So why do you want to move?

• Some people are happy in their home, but just want to live alone or with different people or move to a different suburb. That is ok.
• Some people are unhappy in their home and just want to live in a home that they like. That is ok.
   

Think about:

• What you like and don’t like about where you live now - this step is important so that you can work out what you want for your new home. 
• What you want is your reason to move out. 
• What you want becomes your goal. 

My Moving Out Goal

Your goal to move out will help you (and your team) to find the right home for you. 

There are many different types of housing, people to share with, suburbs to live in and many ways to get supports and funding. 

If you have NDIS funding, then you should add your housing goal to your NDIS plan by calling NDIA or your LAC. 

If you have friends, or family, you can also tell them your housing goal.  These people will understand how much support you will need to make this move and if extra funding will be required. 

If you are unsure of how much support you will need you can have an assessment done by an allied health practitioner such as an OT, Psychologist or Physiotherapist.

If you currently have support workers, you can ask them to estimate what they think you will need. 

Who will help me move out?

Gather your team of people who want to help you to move out. 

Some people may be paid workers such as Support Coordinators and some may be friends or family. 

Some may help you:

• to understand the housing market or
• ways to help financially or
• drive you around to look at housing options, and
• help you pack your boxes to help you on moving day

How do I include my Housing Goal in my NDIS plan?

Armed with your housing goal and your support needs it is time to book a review meeting with your LAC or NDIA planner to add a new goal. 

Your support needs will probably include some skill-building around independent living such as learning to cook, budget and clean.  If funding for these gets added to your plan (Capacity Building funding) you can start as soon as possible so that you are ready for your moving out day. 

How do I tell the people I live with that I want to move out?

You can plan telling people you live with that you want to move out. They may not want you to move out, so they might be sad. That is ok.

Choose a calm time to talk to them about moving out, such as during a house meeting or dinner, or ask if you can have a chat to talk about something important.  This is when you can tell them the reason you want to move. 

Try to focus on all of the good parts of your moving goal.  This way they can be excited for you and may offer to help you. 

How will I feel about moving out?

Learning to let go of where you currently live and who you currently live with can be hard. 

If you have really been unhappy where you live, you may move out expecting bad things to happen, or to expect everything to be perfect and neither of these might happen. 

If you have been loved and supported, you may expect your new housemate to look after you in the same way, but they probably won’t.   

The people you were living with may miss you so much that they come over all the time, or beg you to come back. 

You may have someone that cares so much about you they come over and do all of the independent jobs for you so that you miss out on experiencing them yourself!

What will happen when I move out?

These things happen to everyone when they first move out. 

As with any adventure, it is important to be excited but also to have a plan for all of the ‘what ifs’, like:

• ‘What if we have a fight’,
• ‘What if there is an emergency’,
• ‘What if I want more privacy’,
• ‘What if my housemate is messy’. 

Have a go at thinking about 'What ifs' during this planning stage so that you are prepared for when you move out.

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This resource was prepared by Christiaan Bramblebee, a specialist housing support coordinator at Your Community Home.