Social housing experiences for households with one or more people with disability
Households with one or more people with disability make up a large and diverse share of people using social housing across Australia. At June 2024, around 2 in 5 social housing households (38% or 155,000 households) included one or more people with disability (AIHW 2025).
People with disability often experience specific challenges and barriers. These include fewer employment opportunities, lower incomes, higher health care costs, and a greater need for accessible or modified housing (Mitra et al. 2017). These factors can make it harder to find affordable and suitable housing. Understanding the issues that affect the wellbeing of households with disability helps inform policies and practices that support their needs and promote inclusive and accessible housing.
How the NSHS identifies disability
The National Social Housing Survey (NSHS) classifies a household as ‘with disability’ when at least one household member reports disability-related difficulties. The survey asks one tenant to respond on behalf of the household, so it uses self-reported information.
The NSHS reports the experiences of people who already live in social housing. As a result, this report does not directly measure issues affecting people with disability who live outside social housing, such as those renting privately.
The NSHS identifies disability through a self-reported question about long-term (6 months or more) difficulties with everyday activities caused by a physical, mental or emotional health condition. The question asks whether the tenant or any household member has difficulty with activities such as:
- seeing
- hearing
- walking or climbing stairs
- remembering or concentrating
- self-care
- communicating using usual language.
The questionnaire instructs respondents to answer only for themselves if they do not know the situation of other household members.
The NSHS includes data on disability to examine the relationship between disability and experiences of social housing. It can be used to understand the social housing experiences for tenants with and without disability. The data are not designed to produce accurate prevalence estimates of disability status.
Overall satisfaction for households with one or more people with disability
In 2025, households with at least one person with disability reported lower satisfaction with housing organisation services than households without disability. Across all housing programs, 58% of households with disability reported they were satisfied or very satisfied, compared with 72% of households without a person with disability (Figure Priority group.1, Table S1.9).
Satisfaction levels varied across social housing programs in 2025:
- 42% of state owned and managed Indigenous housing (SOMIH) households with disability reported they were satisfied or very satisfied
- 63% of community housing households with disability reported they were satisfied or very satisfied
- 57% of public housing households with disability reported they were satisfied or very satisfied.
Voices of social housing tenants with disability
‘Have access to care services for my needs.’
‘The building is here for vulnerable people, yet people who come out of jail are allowed in, which puts other tenants at risk and makes them feel unsafe.’
‘I have access to water and electricity, which is needed to be able to use my life support equipment.’
‘I feel independent and able to enjoy my life as a person.’
Figure Disability 1: Satisfaction (%) by Disability status, by housing program, 2014–2025
Line chart shows tenant satisfaction from 2014 to 2025 by disability status. Satisfaction is consistently lower for households with a person with disability and declines over time.
| Year | Person with disability in household | No person with disability in household |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 67.4# | 75.8# |
| 2016 | 67.7# | 72.9# |
| 2018 | 72.5 | 75.8 |
| 2021 | 64.0# | 76.3# |
| 2023 | 61.9# | 71.2# |
| 2025 | 58.1# | 72.2# |
| Year | Person with disability in household | No person with disability in household |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 66.4# | 75.5# |
| 2016 | 66.6# | 72.4# |
| 2018 | 72.1 | 74.3 |
| 2021 | 62.9# | 75.7# |
| 2023 | 59.6# | 69.2# |
| 2025 | 56.8# | 71.2# |
| Year | Person with disability in household | No person with disability in household |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 74.8# | 81.4# |
| 2016 | 74.8 | 78.6 |
| 2018 | 75.2# | 82.0# |
| 2021 | 68.2# | 78.9# |
| 2023 | 68.7# | 76.2# |
| 2025 | 63.1# | 76.3# |
| Year | Person with disability in household | No person with disability in household |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 53 | 58.8 |
| 2016 | 64.6 | 66.1 |
| 2018 | 59.0# | 66.5# |
| 2021 | 54.7# | 66.7# |
| 2023 | 55.6# | 69.8# |
| 2025 | 42.0# | 61.2# |
Person with disability in household includes any tenant with a disability in the household (as indicated by the survey respondent). Satisfaction percentage includes responses that were either 'Very satisfied' or 'Satisfied'.
'#' indicates finding is statistically significantly different, at the 95% confidence level, from the finding for the other categories within the housing program.
Source:
AIHW National Social Housing Survey 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2025. Supplementary Table S1.9.
Satisfaction over time for households with one or more people with disability
Between 2014 and 2025, households with disability reported declining satisfaction across all social housing programs.
Satisfaction among households with one or more people with disability fell from 67% in 2014 to 58% in 2025. Over the same period, satisfaction among households without disability declined more modestly, from 76% to 72%. Satisfaction for households with disability peaked in 2018 at 73% and then declined in later survey years. In contrast, satisfaction for households without disability remained relatively stable.
Satisfaction levels for households with disability also differed across housing programs over time. In 2025:
- In public housing, satisfaction among tenants with disability fell from 66% in 2014 to 57%.
- State owned and managed Indigenous housing (SOMIH) recorded the lowest satisfaction, with rates falling from 53% in 2014 to 42%.
- In community housing, tenants with disability reported higher satisfaction than in other programs, but rates still declined from 75% in 2014 to 63%.
Benefits of living in social housing for households with one or more people with disability
In 2025, households with one or more people with disability reported a range of positive outcomes from living in social housing.
Across all social housing programs, tenants reported:
Strong health and wellbeing benefits
- 93% of households felt more settled.
- 84% of households are better able to manage life’s challenges.
- Nearly three-quarters (73%) reported better health.
Positive social outcomes
- 86% of households valued being able to remain in their neighbourhood.
- 70% of households felt part of their local community.
Economic benefits
- Most tenants found it easier to manage rent and household finances (91%).
- Many reported better access to essential services (82%) and public transport (81%).
- 70% of households reported better access to education or training.
- 59% of households felt more able to improve their personal circumstances.
‘Feel a lot more secure because I am not worried about having my tenancy terminated for no reason.’
‘Continuity of care for my daughter who lives with disability. Stability and familiarity are of utmost importance for our mental health and general wellbeing.’
‘It's a benefit for a single mother who is full time working and is struggling just under the expense of rent and power.’
‘I have a child with disability and sometimes it gets really difficult with his day-to-day activities living in a private accommodation, sometimes the landlord doesn't understand our situation and would be ready to judge him and ask us to evaluate due to his illness. But living in community housing people are more open minded to our situation and care.’
Figure Disability 2: Reported benefits by disability status, by program, 2014 – 2025.
This interactive bar chart shows the reported benefits of living in social housing for households with disability between 2014 and 2025. For all programs, households with disability reported less benefits to living in social housing than households without disability. This was the case across all waves, from 2014 – 2025, aside from 2016. Source: Table S2.7.
Amenities meeting needs for households with one or more people with disability
Accessible home amenities play an essential role for households that include a person with disability. These amenities support independence, safety and quality of life. When housing providers offer amenities that meet the needs of people with disability, tenants gain greater choice in where and how they live and feel more connected to their community (Commonwealth of Australia 2021).
In 2025, most households with at least one person with disability reported that disability-specific features met their needs. Nearly three-quarters (72%) said fixtures for special needs met their needs, and fewer households reported that structural modifications met their needs (68%).
Households with disability reported high satisfaction with several general housing features. In 2025:
- Most households said access to outdoor space (87%) and ease of access and entry (87%) met their needs.
- Many also reported that water efficiency (85%) and the number of bedrooms (85%) met their needs.
- Most households viewed car parking (82%), privacy (80%) and the size of living spaces (80%) positively, suggesting that internal layouts suit many residents.
- Fewer households felt that fencing or enclosure of outdoor space met their needs (75%).
Households with disability reported moderate satisfaction with safety, comfort and storage, in 2025:
- Just over two-thirds (68%) felt satisfied with safety and security inside the home, and fewer felt satisfied with safety and security in their neighbourhood (64%).
- Households also reported moderate satisfaction with thermal comfort (63%) and energy efficiency (66%).
- Storage remained a common concern. Only 54% of households felt satisfied with outdoor storage, and 61% felt satisfied with indoor storage.
‘I am an amputee and in a wheelchair, my new house is built for a wheelchair.’
‘Allows stability for me and my disabled son. Being in housing trust has allowed home modifications to be done since he has ended up in a wheelchair with a spinal injury. More secure for future.’
‘Wheelchair accessible accommodation is a life changer for me.’
‘I have a disability bathroom that I need and a bathtub, and rails and ramp, half turn taps, et cetera. Disability housing is amazing and not around for the renters.’
Figure Disability 3: Amenities meeting household need by program and disability status, 2014 – 2025
This interactive bar chart shows that for almost all years across all programs, amenities were less likely to meet the needs of households with disability. Source: S3.3.
Broader housing system for people with disability
The NSHS focuses on tenants who already live in social housing. However, housing barriers often arise earlier, when people live in private rental or other housing. Please see disability advocacy networks such as DANA and the Summer Foundation for further information on key housing-related issues concerning individuals with disability. The AIHW also publishes information with broader scope than the NSHS for individuals living with disability and their experiences, such as average wait times for social housing. Please see Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 for more detail.
Implications for interpreting the 2025 NSHS results
Taken together, the 2025 NSHS results show that social housing can provide stability and important benefits for households that include people with disability. At the same time, households reported lower satisfaction with services and lower rates of needs being met for some modifications and fixtures. These findings highlight areas where housing providers can continue to improve.
Evidence from disability advocacy organisations and the Summer Foundation suggests that increasing the supply of accessible housing and strengthening minimum accessibility standards may reduce pressure on people with disability before they enter social housing.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2025) Housing assistance in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 13 February 2026.
Department of Social Services (2021) Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031, Australian Government, accessed 23 February 2026.
Disability Advocacy Network Australia (2026) How the housing crisis is failing people with disability, DANA, accessed 18 March 2026.
Mitra S, Palmer M, Kim H, Mont D & Groce N (2017) Extra costs of living with a disability: A review and agenda for research, Disability and Health Journal 10(4): 475–484. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.04.007, accessed 23 February 2026.
NSW Government (2024) Home modifications for tenants living with medical or disability needs, NSW Government, accessed 16 February 2026.
The Summer Foundation (2025) New Summer Foundation and YIMBY report shows smart policy builds accessible housing supply, accessed 18 March 2026.