Get involved to help shape the future of SDA

Are you currently a Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) tenant? Do you have lots of knowledge and experience to share? Do you want to have your voice heard by the policy makers that shape the future of SDA? Then you are exactly the person that is needed as a member of the newly formed SDA Tenants Reference Group.

What is the SDA Tenants' Reference Group?

The SDA Tenants' Reference Group aims to bring together, as members, current SDA tenants to discuss their experiences and use their wealth of knowledge and wisdom to feed into the policy work of the Summer Foundation that will then be used to shape the future of the SDA market.

The Group will discuss their experiences and issues with moving into their SDA properties, and search for solutions that will pave a way to help make the future processes of moving into SDA more seamless and as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.  The Reference Group will be an essential platform for the members to keep abreast of all the current happenings in the SDA world and will allow us, as tenants, to be up to date and use our experiences to inform SDA policy discussions

Membership Requirements

Membership of the SDA Tenants' Reference Group will be free and open to people who:

• are currently residing in an SDA dwelling.
• wish to participate in a discussion about SDA and the SDA market.

Members participate on a voluntary basis and do not receive any remuneration

 The SDA Tenants' Reference Group will be looking for SDA tenants who want:

• a collective voice and opportunity to share their expert knowledge of SDA.
• a way to make suggestions to improve SDA for others.
• a way to find out about what is happening in SDA.

Membership Benefits

Members will receive:

• an invitation to a quarterly meeting of the membership via zoom.
• regular email newsletter with updates on SDA.
• opportunities to provide input into policy submissions, the Housing Hub and research projects.

About the Meetings

• Meetings will be held quarterly via Zoom.
• All members will receive an emailed agenda and any pre reading.
• All members are entitled to attend each meeting and participate in discussions.
• Meetings will be chaired by Belinda Aitken, the SDA Tenants' Group Lead.
• Summer Foundation employees may be invited as guests to attend the meetings to discuss topics if they have expertise in areas for discussion that can be offered to the group, or if they can support taking the discussions into action.

To Join

To join the SDA Tenants' Reference Group, please read the Terms of Reference for the group which can be found here and then fill out the membership form below:

For information and enquiries please contact Belinda Aitken, the SDA Tenants' Reference Group Lead at tenantgroup@housinghub.org.au.

Meet Belinda, SDA Tenants' Group Lead

Belinda has worked as a Lived Experience Facilitator in the Summer Foundation's Housing Hub Team since June 2020. She brings the experience of navigating her own housing journey which sees her now living in an SDA apartment. Belinda has a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University.

Belinda is passionate about PwD  having a voice and a say in their own housing journey, which will lead them to having the best support, choice and flexibility in how they live. 

Questions about Specialist Disability Accommodation?

Call our SDA Housing Advice line

1300 61 64 63

For people with disability, families, and supporters. Monday – Friday 10.00am – 3.00pm AEDT. You can also email us anytime at housingoptions@housinghub.org.au.