If you've been searching for help with where you live, you've probably come across two very different types of support that sound similar but aren't: NDIS-funded accommodation support and general housing or tenancy support. Mixing them up is easy to do, but understanding the difference matters, because it affects who can help you and how that help is funded. This article breaks down both in plain language so you can work out which one fits your situation.
What is NDIS-funded Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
Supported Independent Living, or SIL, is a type of disability support funded through a participant's NDIS plan. It's designed for people who need help with everyday tasks because of their disability, delivered in a shared or individual home. This can include support with personal care, preparing meals, managing medication, building daily living skills, and taking part in the community. Tenax Supports provides SIL as a registered NDIS provider in Victoria, and the level of support is based on what's written into your NDIS plan following an assessment of your functional support needs. SIL is specifically about disability support in a home setting, not about the house itself or how you came to live there.
What is general housing and tenancy support?
Housing support is a different kind of help altogether. It's focused on the practical problem of finding or keeping a safe, stable place to live, and it isn't tied to having an NDIS plan. This might look like help navigating social or community housing waitlists, understanding tenancy rights and obligations, working through a rental dispute, or getting guidance if you're at risk of losing your home. Our parent organisation, Nhanya Support Services, provides this kind of accommodation and housing pathway support. Nhanya is a registered not-for-profit charity and a separate organisation to Tenax, and its support is not NDIS-funded SIL. It exists for anyone facing housing instability or homelessness, whether or not they have an NDIS plan.
The key differences, side by side
The clearest way to tell these apart is to ask what the support is actually for. SIL exists to support a person's daily living needs because of disability, and it's funded through the NDIS. Housing support exists to help someone secure or maintain a tenancy, and it isn't linked to NDIS funding at all. SIL is delivered by NDIS providers like Tenax. Housing pathway support is delivered by organisations like Nhanya, which work alongside the community housing and homelessness service system. One is about the support you receive inside your home; the other is about having a home in the first place.
Which one do I actually need?
A useful starting question is: is the problem about disability support, or about housing itself? If you have an NDIS plan and you need help with daily tasks such as personal care, cooking, or building independence, and that need has already been recognised in your plan, SIL is likely the right fit. If instead you're worried about becoming homeless, struggling to keep up with a tenancy, or trying to find somewhere stable to live, that's a housing support need, and it applies regardless of whether you have an NDIS plan. Some people may face both challenges at once, and in that case, it's worth reaching out to each type of service for what it specifically does, rather than expecting one to cover the other.
Not sure where you fit? Start with Support Coordination
If you're still unsure which category your situation falls into, or you have an NDIS plan but aren't clear on what it can and can't fund, Support Coordination is a good place to start. A Support Coordinator can help you understand your plan, work out what supports you're eligible for, and connect you with the right service, whether that's SIL through an NDIS provider or a referral elsewhere for housing-specific help. It's a practical first step when the picture feels unclear.
Two distinct services, working toward the same goal
Tenax Supports and Nhanya Support Services are separate organisations offering genuinely different kinds of help. Tenax focuses on NDIS-funded Supported Independent Living, supporting people with disability in their homes. Nhanya focuses on housing and tenancy pathways, supporting anyone trying to find or keep stable housing. We're upfront about this distinction because getting the right support from the right place, the first time, saves people time and frustration. If your need is about disability support in the home, we're glad to talk it through. If it's about housing itself, Nhanya is the right door to knock on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get SIL if I don't have an NDIS plan?
No. Supported Independent Living is funded through an NDIS plan, so you need to be an NDIS participant with SIL included in your plan to access it. If you don't have an NDIS plan but need help with housing, organisations like Nhanya Support Services support people regardless of NDIS status.
Is Nhanya part of Tenax Supports?
Tenax Supports is a subsidiary of Nhanya Foundation, a registered not-for-profit charity. Nhanya delivers a different kind of support directly, focused on housing and tenancy, separately from Tenax's NDIS-funded disability support.
What if I need both disability support and help with housing?
It's worth speaking to each organisation about what it specifically offers, since SIL and housing pathway support are delivered differently and funded differently. A Support Coordinator can also help you work out how to approach both needs.
Does Tenax help people find housing if they're not on the NDIS?
Tenax's service is Supported Independent Living for NDIS participants, so we don't provide general housing or homelessness support directly. For that kind of help, Nhanya Support Services is the right organisation to contact.
If you'd like to talk through whether Supported Independent Living is the right fit for you or someone you support, get in touch with Tenax via our contact page or enquiry form.