Guide
SIL, MTA or STA: which one do you need?
By Team Complete Choice · Last reviewed 25 September 2026
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is ongoing support in a shared home. Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) is somewhere to live for up to 90 days while your long-term home isn't ready, or after a hospital stay. Short Term Accommodation (STA), now short term respite, gives your carers a break, usually up to 28 days a year.
What is the difference between SIL, MTA and STA?
SIL is support workers in the home you live in, and it pays for the support, not the house. MTA is somewhere to live for up to 90 days, usually once. Short term respite (STA) is a short break from your usual care, usually up to 28 days a year.
| Supported Independent Living (SIL) | Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) | Short term respite (STA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Support workers in the home you live in | Somewhere to live for a while | A short break from your usual care |
| How long | Ongoing | Up to 90 days, usually once | Usually up to 28 days a year |
| Pays for | The support, not the house | The accommodation only | Your supports, and standard accommodation if you stay away |
| Doesn’t pay for | Rent, food, bills | Food, bills, personal care | — |
| Who it’s for | People who need support around the clock | People whose long-term home isn’t ready, or who are leaving hospital | People whose family or carers provide a lot of daily support |
What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
SIL is funding for support workers to help or supervise you with daily tasks, 24 hours a day. It’s for when you need someone there around the clock, including overnight. It pays for the people, not the property. You pay rent, board, food and utilities yourself.
Our guide to what SIL funding pays for goes through who pays what.
What is Medium Term Accommodation (MTA)?
MTA is funding to live somewhere for up to three months. It’s only available in specific circumstances, usually when your long-term home isn’t ready or you’re being discharged from hospital. It covers the accommodation only, and it’s usually a one-off.
The two usual circumstances, in detail:
- your long-term home isn’t ready — for example, you’re waiting on a Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) vacancy, or home modifications
- you’re being discharged from hospital — MTA can help you leave sooner while you find your long-term home. If you’re eligible for SDA, SIL, individualised living options or home modifications, you don’t need a confirmed long-term home first.
It doesn’t cover food, internet or electricity, and it doesn’t include personal care, so those supports continue separately through your plan. It isn’t emergency housing.
What is short term respite (STA)?
Short Term Accommodation (STA) was renamed short term respite in October 2025. It’s the same support: time apart from your usual care arrangements, so your family, friends or carers can take a short break and keep caring for you afterwards.
You may be able to get it if you live with the people who support you, or get daily drop-in support, and they provide more than six hours of disability-related support a day.
It’s usually funded for up to 28 days a year, and you can use it flexibly: a block of up to 14 days, or a weekend a month. It can be in a shared or individual setting, or in your own home with a support worker.
What other home and living options are there?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funds other home and living supports too, such as individualised living options (ILO), Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and home modifications. Which one fits depends on your situation. Your Support Coordinator can walk you through it.
Still not sure which one you need?
Call us on 08 7009 4462. We provide SIL, MTA and respite across Adelaide, within 100km of the CBD — and if what you need is something we don’t do, we’ll tell you, and tell you who does. Start with our housing overview.