Following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the government set a target for no one under 65 years of age to be living in residential aged care (RAC) by 2025. The numbers of young people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) have significantly declined since the start of the targets. However, most of the reduction can be attributed to death and people turning 65 rather than to people moving into better housing. This study explores the intersection between the housing needs, preferences, and the experience of securing adequate funding, housing, and support to transition out of RAC for people with disability.

Findings show that despite having access to funding under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the transition out of RAC is impacted by difficulty securing the right category and amount of funding, unmet housing preferences and inadequate housing and support. The cumulative impact is frustrating, exhausting, limiting, dislocating and restricting. Policy implications include the need for a skilled workforce to navigate the transition, a responsive approach to housing that considers diverse needs and preferences, and systematic data collection to better inform housing options and supports.