Losing your home, or facing the real risk of it, is frightening at any time, and it can feel even more overwhelming when you're also managing a disability and NDIS supports. If this is happening to you or someone you support, you're not alone, and there are people and services set up specifically to help. This guide walks through the practical steps you can take right now, and where disability supports fit into the picture.
If you're in immediate danger, call Lifeline
If you are in crisis right now, or feel unsafe where you are staying tonight, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. This free, confidential service is available 24 hours a day and can talk through your situation with you and help connect you to emergency options. If your life or safety is at immediate risk, always call 000.
Contact your local council or state homelessness service
Once immediate safety is sorted, your local council and Victoria's homelessness support system are the main entry points for emergency and transitional housing. Councils often have a homelessness or community support team who can point you toward the right service, and Victoria has dedicated entry points that assess your situation and connect you with crisis accommodation, private rental assistance or longer-term housing options. These services are designed for anyone at risk of homelessness, disability or not, so it's worth reaching out even if you're unsure whether you qualify.
Reach out to our parent organisation, Nhanya, for housing pathway support
Tenax Supports and our parent organisation, Nhanya Support Services, work alongside each other but provide different types of support. Nhanya is a registered not-for-profit charity that focuses specifically on housing pathway support, helping people navigate the practical steps toward stable accommodation. This is a separate, non-NDIS service, and getting in touch with Nhanya can be a useful next step alongside contacting council or state homelessness services, particularly if you want guidance from a team that understands the intersection of housing and disability.
Ask your Support Coordinator to connect NDIS supports with housing pathways
If you have Support Coordination in your NDIS plan, this is exactly the kind of situation a Support Coordinator can help with. They won't provide accommodation themselves, but they can help you understand how your NDIS supports, such as personal care, allied health or Supported Independent Living (SIL), can be lined up alongside a housing outcome once one is secured. A good Support Coordinator can also help you communicate your support needs clearly to housing services, liaise with other services on your behalf, and make sure your plan keeps working for you while your living situation changes. If you don't currently have Support Coordination in your plan, this is worth raising at your next plan review, or discussing with your Local Area Coordinator or NDIA planner.
What Tenax can and can't help with
We want to be upfront about our role. Tenax Supports is a registered NDIS provider delivering disability supports, including Supported Independent Living and Support Coordination. We do not provide crisis accommodation or emergency housing directly, and if you're facing homelessness, the services above, Lifeline, your local council or state homelessness service, and Nhanya, are the right places to start for housing itself. Where we can genuinely help is once housing options are in motion: making sure your NDIS supports are set up to work well in whatever home you move into, and, through Support Coordination, helping you stay connected to the right services while things are being sorted out.
Taking the next step
Facing homelessness is stressful, and it's common to need more than one type of support at once. A practical approach is to call Lifeline if you're in immediate crisis, contact your council or a state homelessness service for accommodation options, reach out to Nhanya for housing pathway guidance, and loop in a Support Coordinator to keep your NDIS supports working alongside whatever housing outcome you reach. You don't have to figure out which door to knock on first by yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if I'm about to lose my home?
If you're in immediate danger or crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Otherwise, contact your local council or a state homelessness service as soon as possible, as they can assess your situation and point you to emergency or transitional accommodation options.
Does Tenax provide emergency or crisis accommodation?
No. Tenax Supports provides NDIS disability supports such as Supported Independent Living and Support Coordination, but we do not deliver crisis or emergency accommodation directly. For housing pathway support, our parent organisation Nhanya Support Services may be able to help.
How is Nhanya different from Tenax?
Nhanya Support Services is our parent organisation, a registered not-for-profit charity focused on housing pathway support, which is a separate, non-NDIS service. Tenax focuses on NDIS supports like SIL and Support Coordination. The two organisations work alongside each other but provide different types of help.
Can a Support Coordinator help me while I'm dealing with housing issues?
Yes. A Support Coordinator can help you understand how your NDIS supports fit with a housing outcome, communicate your needs to housing services, and keep your other supports connected while your living situation is being sorted out. They don't arrange housing itself, but they can help things run more smoothly around it.
If you'd like to talk through how Support Coordination or SIL could support you during this time, get in touch with the Tenax team through our contact page.