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How to become Livable Housing Certified

Homes that are designed to met the changing needs of occupants over their lifetime.

Livable Housing Certification Process

Optimal Living Therapy can provide comprehensive Livable Housing Assessments and Certifications to Architects, Builders, Home Owners and Councils, through site and desktop audits.

What are the Livable Housing Guidelines?

The Guidelines describe 15 easy living design elements. Each element details the performance expected to achieve Silver, Gold or Platinum level certification. The performance levels can be applied to all newly built Class la, Class lb, Class 3 and Class 4 developments.

The Guidelines can be downloaded from the LHA Website www.lha.org.au.

livable housing

Certification Process

  1. Contact us during the home design phase or once the home has been completed for a desktop assessment or site assessment.
  2. Once audited we will indicate if the plans/building has achieved Silver, Gold or Platinum levels of livable home design, indicating that the home has been designed and built in compliance with the livable housing guidelines
  3. In the event that there as aspects of the building that do not meet the required level, corrections and alterations may be made and re assessment of this component can be completed in order to certify the home
  4. As registered assessors we can assign the use of an LHA Silver, Gold or Platinum logo to a design or an as built home based on our assessment which can then market the home as being livable to future home buyers or make the home eligible to receive funding for specialist disability accomodation (SDA)
livable housing

Desktop Assessment

A desktop audit allows us to audit your plans to identify if they will comply with the certification requirements when when built. After a desktop assessment and non-compliances are addressed, you are issued a LHA Provisional Certification.

A Provisional Certification is based on the assessed drawings and not the actual built works. The Provisional Certificate is valid for up to 2 years or for 30 days after the OC is achieved.

livable housing

LHA design/provisional liveability quality mark

livable housing

Post-Construction Site Assessment

Once your home has been built and completed we can complete the ‘As Built Inspection’ to ensure the guideline elements have been met in order to issue Livable Housing mark. Any non-compliances detected at site inspection are to be rectified and all pending items completed prior to issuing a Final Report.

The LHA Final Certification is then issued.

livable housing

LHA as-built/final liveability quality mark

Livable Housing and Specialist Disability Accomodation (SDA)

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is housing that has been specially designed for people who are unable to live in mainstream housing due to their extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.

For accomodation to be suitable for SDA participants, it must comply with certain standards and characteristics that meet participants’ needs and the nature of their disability.

There are 5 broad categories of SDA design, each of which is assessed against a relevant Livable Housing Australia design standard. To have a home certified for SDA, talk to us about having the home certified to one of the standards. Read more below.

Why Livable Housing?

Build a home that stands the test of time by ensuring it is Livable Housing certified. Livable Housing is a government supported NGO that aims to ensure homes have been designed to meet the changing needs of home occupants across their lifetime.

Livable and easily adaptable housing design involves the inclusion of key easy living features that makes home easier and safer to use for all home users, including people with disabilities, ageing Australians, families with young children and people with temporary injuries.

 The key features of a ‘Livable’ home are:

  • It should be easy to enter
  • Capable of effortless and cost effective adaptation
  • Easy to move in and around
  • Designed to anticipate and respond to the changing needs of home occupants

Livable housing is not only intended for ageing Australians building a home for their futures, or a person with a disability building a home they can access, Livable housing is about creating a house that looks no different to standard house, but has key features built in that ensure it is or can be made accessible for any person, at any stage of their life regardless of changing health conditions.

Livable Housing Australia (LHA) – a national organization that promotes and monitors the certifications of Livable Houses, report that international research shows that it’s 22 times more efficient to design for adaptability up front, so why not plan for the unexpected.

The Future of Livable Housing

There is a 60% chance that a new house will be occupied by someone with a disability or an accessibility need at some point in its lifetime.

The topic of livable housing is relevant for everyone regardless of ability, age or location. Consider, for example, how you might use your home in the event you broke your leg and required a wheelchair, or how your elderly parent will access your home if they need a walking
aid or lost their vision.

People in Australia living with a disability

People in Australia living with a severe disability

People in Australia caring for someone with a disability

We see only possibilities and support people to act without limitations - by challenging the speed of progress and shedding light on the possibilities for change.

Lauren HartOptimal Living Therapy

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We look forward to working with you

Get in touch

View our FAQ’s for information on how to refer and eligibility

    Optimal Living Therapy

    ABN: 94625005012

    AHPRA: OCC0001786259
    LHA: 20023
    OT Australia: 946355
    NDIS: 4050042094

    consultations@optimaltherapy.com.au

    (08) 6117 4266