As a person with a disability, how can I use Nest?

Nest is an online platform that matches you with Specialist Disability Accommodations (SDAs) that match your personal preferences and funding requirements.

Through a simple online search, Nest provides access to a wide variety of SDA properties from many different providers. You just need to choose your preferred location and Nest will begin searching for suitable properties. Prior to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), this sort of choice wasn’t really available. People with disabilities were instead offered housing options based on what was available rather than what they needed. As a Nest user, you can choose where you want to live based on your friends, family, community, and support needs.

As Nest only features SDA properties, you can be confident that you will be able to use your SDA funding for any properties you find on the site if you have SDA funding in your NDIS package. There is also a wide range of property owners and managers throughout NSW, giving you a wider choice of accommodation to suit your needs.

Nest can be used in several ways.

To find a place to live

If You can search anonymously on Nest if you don’t want to register and create a personal profile. The search can be conducted based on the type of accommodation you are looking for and the location of your choice, but without revealing any personal information. If you have a specific support or funding requirement, Nest will provide you with general results based on your location preferences and accommodation types. You can see properties that may be available in your preferred location by using this level of search. These searches, however, cannot be used to view room details, save searches, or apply for vacancies. By registering with Nest and providing more information about your needs and wants, you can find the best matches and options for you. We keep your personal information secure and private when you sign up with Nest. The only time we share your information with a provider is if you apply for one of their rooms. Please read our Privacy Policy for more information about how we protect your information.

A lot of the information you need to provide when creating your Nest profile is linked to the NDIS funding/requirements that you have. In most cases, this information can be found in the paperwork or plan that you receive from the NDIS. Nest does not require you to provide this information, but if you do, the matches you receive will be much better and more relevant.

2) To apply for a position

After creating a profile, you will be able to apply for vacancies and save your favorite properties and rooms. Nest will send the provider who listed the property the information you provide in your profile when you apply for a room, including your name, where you are looking to live, the amount of SDA funding you have, your contact information, the type of accommodation you’re looking for, and any features you requested.

It will also prepare you for the future when you move out.

Nest is designed to help people who plan on moving out in the near future or at some point in the future. When you create your profile, you can specify a ‘move date’ up to two years in the future. You can then view properties that are under construction, in planning, or that may become available in the near future. Also, you can save your favourites and apply for them when you’re ready to move out or change homes. Nest will alert you automatically if any of your favorite properties become available in the future.

The thing to keep in mind is that when you apply for a room, you are not automatically approved. You are expressing an interest in that vacancy and would like to be considered by the provider by submitting your application. It is the provider’s responsibility to contact you (and other applicants) in order to discuss the home, your compatibility with the house and current residents, and whether the home is the right fit for you.