In the news: 9News on Habilis and the NSW Government’s supported housing initiatives.
9News shared a fantastic story on the NSW Government’s investment into supported accommodation to get our most vulnerable people out of expensive hospital beds - and off the streets. Habilis features as the benchmark for this type of housing with our resident Andrew star of the show. Olav features too, explaining the cost savings of this model.. Watch the full story.
ULI Awards - Habilis recognised for property excellence across Asia-Pacific
Habilis is a finalist in the 2026 Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence by respected international property body, Urban Land Institute (ULI). We’re particularly excited due to the level of global competition these awards attract, and Asian countries generally lack community mental health services and specialist supported housing for people living with chronic mental illness, so it’s a chance to spread the word.
Lessons from Italy - 48 years of care in the community
For nearly fifty years, mental health care in Italy has been delivered through a system centred on community, housing and local services, rather than long-term institutional settings. Strong outcomes suggest there’s much for Australia to learn.
Resident Stories - Kellie
From rock-bottom with no way up to positively thriving in two short years, Kellie is a wonderful Habilis success story. Now aged 53, she lived with her parents until her first acute episode of mental illness at the age of 51, and had her first ever contact with the police after assaulting her elderly father in response to symptoms. Life swiftly unraveled from there.
Olav talks to ABC NewsRadio about supported housing and crime prevention
Habilis founder Professor Olav Nielssen spoke to Sarah Morice at ABC NewsRadio about continuity of care for the chronically mentally ill and its role in the prevention of violent incidents involving people with severe mental illness.
In the news: ABC’s 7.30 recognises Habilis as the way forward for homeless people living with severe mental illness
ABC New’s 7.30 article recognises Habilis as the way forward for housing homeless people living with severe mental illness
Resident Stories - Darren
Darren epitomises the challenges our residents can face in society, easily slipping through the cracks of the system without a viable, permanent housing solution. After 12 months at Habilis, Darren has settled into a safe and stable way of life. And when we say Habilis probably saved his life, we’re not exaggerating.
We now have 16 tenants - with 4 remaining places reserved for vulnerable women
We now have a settled cohort of 16 tenants at Summer Hill, with the remaining 4 units reserved for vulnerable mentally ill women who have not done well in public housing estates and need to be housed in a more protective environment with ready access to medical care.
Proud winners of the 2025 Urban Developer Development of the Year - Social Infrastructure
Hurrah! We’re thrilled to announce that our Summer Hill centre has taken the top gong in the Social Infrastructure category of the prestigious Urban Developer Awards for 2025. It was a strongly contested category with some major industry players and some excellent entries, so we were really excited to be called up to stage.