SDA Building Types: Apartment, Villa, House, Group Home
SDA building types explained: apartment, villa or duplex, house and group home — what each means, how many people live there, and which might suit you.
Specialist Disability Accommodation comes in four building types, and the one you choose shapes your daily life as much as the design category does — whether you live alone or with housemates, how private your space feels, and where you can find a vacancy. This guide explains apartments, villas and duplexes, houses and group homes in plain language, so you can picture what living in each is really…
Why building type matters
Apartments
Villas, duplexes and townhouses
Houses
Group homes
Comparing the four at a glance
Matching building type to your life
Frequently asked questions
What are the four SDA building types?
The four SDA building types are apartment (a self-contained unit in a larger building), villa/duplex/townhouse (a small self-contained dwelling, often clustered), house (detached, up to three residents), and group home (four or five residents sharing common areas).
How many people live in an SDA house versus a group home?
An SDA house holds up to three participants sharing common areas, each usually with their own bedroom. A group home holds four or five residents, each with a private bedroom and often a private bathroom, sharing living and kitchen spaces.
Can any design category be built as any building type?
In principle, yes. Design category (like Fully Accessible or High Physical Support) describes access features, while building type describes the form of the home. They're separate choices, so a Fully Accessible home could be an apartment, villa, house or part of a group home.
Which SDA building type gives the most independence?
Apartments and villas or duplexes generally offer the most privacy and independence, since you have your own self-contained home. Houses and group homes involve sharing common spaces with housemates, which some people prefer for company and easier-to-staff support.
Related guides
- SDA Design Categories Explained: All Four, in Plain English
- SDA Eligibility: Who Qualifies for Specialist Disability Accommodation
- SDA Fully Accessible Design Explained
- SDA Improved Liveability Design Explained
- SDA Myths Debunked: What Specialist Disability Accommodation Really Is
- SDA Price Guide Deep Dive: Reading Appendix H