Nest has expanded!

In a nutshell – we’ve expanded the Nest platform to now include all types of disability-friendly properties and vacancies, not just properties allocated specialist disability accommodation (SDA) funding. This means even if you don’t have SDA funding in your NDIS package, you can use Nest to search for and be matched to suitable housing. And if you’re a housing provider with disability-friendly properties to fill (such as community and social housing provider, real estate agent or private landlord), you can now list these on Nest to reach potential applicants.

Why the upgrade?

When Nest launched in May 2018 our aim was to build a website and matching platform that would connect people with disability who have SDA funding to homes that were suitable for them and met their funding requirements and personal preferences.

However, we soon realised that there were so many other people with disability looking for a home who didn’t have SDA funding and therefore were not eligible for the vacancies listed on Nest. These people have just as much trouble finding accessible housing options that meet their needs and wants as those with SDA funding.

At the same time, other providers of disability housing, including real estate agents, and community and social housing providers, began approaching Nest to list their disability-friendly properties and vacancies and connect with potential tenants.

We saw an opportunity to widen the scope of Nest.

What’s changed…

We’ve put a lot of hard work into the back-end of the Nest website, but ultimately, Nest’s powerful matching engine has remained the same and the experience for users (people with disability, their carers and supports) and providers hasn’t changed. Nest is still a free, independent matching platform that brings together housing providers and people with disability looking for a home.

If you’re already familiar with Nest, you may notice we’ve introduced a bunch of extra functionalities and features. Many of these were requested by providers and users. Read on to learn about some of the top new features.

…For housing providers

Now you can:

• List all types of housing suitable for people with disability—not just properties allocated specialist disability accommodation (SDA) funding.
• Nominate if your property is for shared living or non-shared living arrangements.
• List short to medium term accommodation—suitable for people with disability looking for a short stay or requiring temporary housing.

…For people with disability and their carers searching for properties

Now you can:

• Provide more details about your funding or income level in your profile—to get better matches from your searching.
• View your search results on a map—so you can easily see where your property matches are located.
• Filter or sort your results by four options—best match; soonest available; nearest; most recently listed.
• Search for short to medium term accommodation if you are looking for a short stay option or require temporary housing.

What’s next?

As is expected, a change this big is not without its challenges. We have tried to ensure a smooth transition to Nest 2.0, but please be patient if there are hiccups. We are continually making refinements and improvements.

If you spot or encounter any bugs, lack of functionality, errors or other issues, or you have feedback about the platform or website, please let us know. You can email us at info@gonest.com.au, phone us on 1300 547 905, or complete our enquiry form.

We are committed to building a tool to enable all people with disability to find their perfect home.