HALO
Housing Activation through Land Opportunities
HALO (Housing Activation through Land Opportunities) is a scalable housing solution for Australians – a proven model for modular, long-life housing on peri-urban and rural land.
It is developed by the Phillips Family Trust in collaboration with Innovation 200.
View this presentation on the Project. HALO v1.02
Expressions of Interest are invited in partnering with us in developing 3-5 HALO pilots on peri-urban and rural land.
The NationWide Challenge
Australia is experiencing:
- Escalating homelessness
- Rising rental unaffordability
- Stalled housing stock growth
Yet all around our cities and towns, peri-urban and regional land lies dormant โ blocked by zoning, infrastructure delays, or inflexible frameworks.
The HALO Solution
HALO enables peri-urban and rural landholders to lease out 2,000โ4,000+ sqm lots for high-quality modular cabins under 60 sqm.
These are long-term housing solutions โ not short-stay units or speculative developments. Cabins are:
– Low-footprint
– Energy-efficient
– Relocatable
– Minimum 30-year lifespan
They serve a wide range of needs with minimal disruption and no suburban sprawl.
Who HALO Is For
HALO creates secure, scalable housing for:
- Young adults saving for home deposits
- Low-income and essential workers
- Retired couples / elderly residents
- NDIS participants and supported living
- Social housing tenants (under strict agreements)
- Potential rent-to-own residents with future ownership pathways
Key Model Features
Modular Cabin Standards:
- 40โ60 sqm, self-contained
- Energy-efficient insulation and materials
- Minimal environmental impact
- Crane-liftable, modular, transportable
- Minimum 30-year structural lifespan
Landholder Options:
- Lease land only (to cabin owners)
- OR install cabins with optional government financing, for direct leasing (especially for social housing)
Land can be:
- Privately held
- Leased from government-managed land banks (e.g. Crown or Trust land earmarked for innovation pilots)
Community Agreements:
Tenants must sign a legally binding Community Agreement, covering:
- Maintenance and cleanliness
- Respectful behavior
- Environmental harmony
- Contribution to shared spaces
Affordability and Economic Logic
Componentย ย |ย ย Value Range / Note
Cabin costย ย ย |ย ย $100,000โ$150,000
Weekly repaymentsย ย |ย ย ~$240/week under govt-backed financing (TBC)
Lease optionsย ย |ย ย Private agreement or council-regulated
Ownership modelsย ย |ย ย Portable ownership, rent-to-buy with land lease
This model offers dignified housing, cheaper than market rent, and scalable pathways to asset ownership.
Governance Standards
To protect both community integrity and public funds, HALO includes:
- Strict eligibility and conduct screening
- Limit on dwellings per site
- Mandatory design cohesion for site aesthetics
- NDIS-compliant options for disability-ready sites
- Environmental reporting on ground impact, greywater, solar, etc.
- Digital oversight platform via future My Tribe app integration
Pilot Proposal
Partners are sought to launch 3โ5 pilot sites across varied regional zones, including:
- Urban fringes (eg Greater Geelong, Adelaide Hills, Western Sydney)
- Regional towns (eg Shepparton, Cessnock, Riverland)
- Purpose-built zones for NDIS, aged care, or youth transitions
Each pilot to test:
- Different demographics
- Lease models
- Compliance integration
- Community wellbeing outcomes
We are seeking:
- Government co-development and support
- Council-level pilot site partnerships
- Regulatory trial frameworks
- Social stakeholders from health, housing, NDIS, ageing, and homelessness agencies
- Financial and philanthropic partners
HALO isnโt just an idea. Itโs ready to go with the right collaboration
Three HALO Rollout Models
1. HALO Villages (Full Ecosystem Model โ Rural/Regional)
Purpose: Regrow small towns, revive regional areas, house multiple generations.
โข 50โ100 modular home lots
โข Composting toilets, solar power, water harvesting
โข Gardens, craft sheds, animal care, resilience training
โข Circular living and cultural regeneration
โข Ideal for unused land just outside townships
โธป
2. HALO Peri-Urban Sites (Integrated Housing Pockets โ City/Fringe)
Purpose: Fast deployment of modular housing in underutilized peri-urban land.
โข Small groupings (3โ20 cabins)
โข Plug into aged care, NDIS, key worker or low-income housing
โข Ideal for:
โข Church land
โข Gov-owned lots
โข Private landholders with long-term lease intent
โข Plug-and-play infrastructure (or hybrid off-grid)
โข Quick approval, high compliance, elegant design
โธป
3. HALO Training & Transition Sites (TAFE & Youth Empowerment Hubs)
Purpose: Youth development through building, fit-out, maintenance, community care.
โข Cabins are built or fitted out by supervised youth groups
โข Training includes trades, personal development, and mentorship
โข Built-in pathways to employment and apprenticeships
Why HALO Works
For Governments:ย ย ย
- Reduces housing pressure
- Eases infrastructure loadย ย
- Avoids high-rise resistanceย ย ย
- Enhances social cohesion ย ย
For Landholders:
- Income from unused landย ย
- Minimal capital investment
- Low regulatory riskย ย
- Pride in contributionย ย ย ย
For Residents:
- Affordable, secure housing
- Option to rent-to-own
- Relocation assurance
- Community, not transience
How to Start
Complete the form below to Express your Interest in partnering with us. We will then have a conversation.
Contact:
Jonathan Marshall – Chief of Staff
jonathan.marshall@innovation200.org
0404 486 937
About the Founder
Steven Phillips is the Managing Director of Rock Solid Design and Construction, based in the Hunter Valley in NSW. Steven is a proudย Gomeroi man, a quality builder, an inventor, and a serial entrepreneur with exceptional integrity.ย
