Finding a suitable place to live can take time, particularly when a person is preparing to leave hospital, waiting for home modifications or getting ready to move into longer-term accommodation. Medium Term Accommodation can provide a temporary place to stay during this period.
Under the Medium Term Accommodation NDIS, this funding is available in specific circumstances and generally covers accommodation for up to 90 days. It is intended to bridge a genuine gap between a participant’s current situation and a longer-term housing arrangement, providing them with a suitable place to live while the next stage is being organised.
What Is Medium Term Accommodation Under the NDIS?
Medium Term Accommodation, commonly called MTA, is NDIS funding that can cover the cost of temporary accommodation for up to 3 months (90 days). It is available when a participant needs temporary accommodation while waiting to move into, or return to, a longer-term home.
For example, someone may be waiting for a Specialist Disability Accommodation vacancy or for important home modifications to be completed. MTA can also support eligible participants leaving hospital while longer-term living arrangements are being organised. It is provided in specific circumstances rather than as a general housing option.
Why MTA Is Designed as a Transitional Support
MTA has a clear purpose: to provide temporary accommodation when there is a gap before a participant can access their longer-term living arrangement. The NDIS generally provides it as a one-off support because the participant is expected to move on once their longer-term home becomes available.
This makes MTA different from ongoing NDIS home and living supports that may form part of a participant’s longer-term arrangements. Instead, it gives eligible participants somewhere to stay while practical matters, such as home modifications or an appropriate housing vacancy, are being finalised.
Who May Be Eligible for Medium Term Accommodation NDIS?
Eligibility for Medium Term Accommodation NDIS depends on the participant’s individual circumstances. According to the NDIS, MTA may be appropriate when someone cannot yet move into their long-term accommodation and needs somewhere to stay. At the same time, home modifications are completed, or they are being discharged from hospital and meet relevant eligibility requirements. Eligibility is not based simply on needing somewhere to stay. There needs to be a disability-related reason and a suitable pathway into longer-term accommodation.
What Does Medium Term Accommodation NDIS Funding Cover?
It is important to understand exactly what Medium Term Accommodation NDIS funding pays for. MTA covers the cost of the temporary accommodation itself. It does not include ordinary day-to-day living expenses such as food, internet or electricity.
Personal care is also not included within MTA accommodation funding. If a participant requires personal care or other approved disability support during their stay, these supports are funded separately through the relevant parts of their NDIS plan. This distinction can help participants and families plan for the full cost and support requirements of the temporary stay.
Medium Term Accommodation vs Short Term Accommodation: What Is the Difference?
Medium-Term Accommodation and Short-Term Accommodation may sound similar, but they serve different purposes. MTA provides temporary accommodation for a participant who is waiting to move into or return to a longer-term home. It can generally be funded for up to 90 days in specific circumstances.
Short-term accommodation, often called STA, serves a different function and may be used for short stays where the participant requires disability-related support away from their usual home. The important distinction is purpose. MTA bridges a housing transition, rather than providing a temporary break from a participant’s usual living arrangement.
Planning the Move From MTA Into a Long-Term Home
A stay in MTA should have a clear transition in mind. Planning can include confirming when the long-term property will become available, organising required supports, and ensuring the new home is suitable for the participant’s needs.
For some people, this could mean waiting for Specialist Disability Accommodation or independent living support arrangements. For others, it may involve returning home once essential modifications are finished. The participant, family, providers, and relevant NDIS contacts may need to work together to ensure important arrangements are addressed before the move and that the transition to the long-term home is as organised as possible.
How Support Coordination Can Help With an MTA Transition
Moving between accommodation arrangements can involve several services, providers and decisions. Support coordination can help a participant understand their plan, connect with suitable providers, and organise approved supports to suit their changing living arrangements.
For participants accessing MTA, this may include working with relevant services while longer-term accommodation is being arranged. Support coordinators can also help participants prepare for a change in living arrangements by connecting them with suitable services, coordinating approved supports and helping organise the practical steps involved in moving into a longer-term home. Unify Disability Services also provides coordination services to help participants understand and use their NDIS plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MTA Automatically Funded for 90 Days?
No. Being eligible for MTA does not mean every participant automatically receives funding for a full 90 days. The NDIS describes MTA as funding that can be used for accommodation for up to 3 months (90 days) in specific circumstances. The length of the stay should be based on the participant’s individual situation and the time needed before their longer-term accommodation becomes available. Participants should check the funding included in their plan and discuss their circumstances with their NDIS contact.
Does MTA Pay for Food, Electricity and Personal Care?
No. MTA funding covers the cost of the accommodation rather than the participant’s ordinary living expenses. The NDIS states that costs such as food, internet and electricity are not included in MTA funding. Personal care supports are also separate. If a participant needs approved personal care or other NDIS-funded assistance during their MTA stay, they can continue using the appropriate funding in their plan for those supports
Can MTA Be Used as Emergency Accommodation?
No. The NDIS specifically states that MTA is not emergency housing. It is intended for specific transitional situations in which temporary accommodation is required before a participant can access or return to an appropriate longer-term home. A sudden need for emergency housing does not, by itself, make someone eligible for MTA. People experiencing an urgent housing situation may need assistance through other community or mainstream housing and homelessness services.
Conclusion
Understanding Medium Term Accommodation NDIS can make an upcoming housing transition easier to plan. MTA has a specific role: providing eligible participants with temporary accommodation while they wait for an appropriate longer-term living arrangement.
Because the funding has clear eligibility and coverage requirements, it is important to understand what is included and organise other necessary supports separately.
Unify Disability Services helps NDIS participants understand their plans, connect with suitable services and prepare for changes in their living arrangements. For guidance with the next stage of an NDIS journey, contact Unify Disability Services to discuss the support available.
