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HALO purpose-built accommodation at dusk — glazed facade revealing furnished studios and rooftop greenery
Overview · Vol. 01 / 2026

HALO.

Where great minds live.

HALO by OHOME · Part of LJ Hooker's 100-year Nation Building Strategy
§ 01

A 100-year nation-building commitment.

Education is the cornerstone of Australia's prosperity, the foundation on which national productivity, social mobility and global competitiveness rest. As LJ Hooker marks its centenary, we are proud to offer a 100-year nation-building accommodation solution to the education sector. A turnkey, fully financed Build-Own-Operate-Transfer program that delivers hi-performance on-campus student and academic staff accommodation at no cost to university balance sheets, with assets transferring to the institution at the end of the term. It is our centenary commitment to the next hundred years of Australian education & prosperity.

The situation.
Across Australia's major university cities, purpose-built accommodation is running at near-full occupancy while weekly rents climb in Sydney and Melbourne, pushing students and key workers into a tight private rental market.
Why it matters.
Housing now drives enrolment yield, international competitiveness, staff retention and revenue. The Commonwealth has tied higher student-intake allocations to demonstrable, on-ground accommodation — so beds have become a gating factor on growth, not just a service to students.
The HALO solution.
HALO delivers an institutional-grade, fully financed, turnkey solution to the Australian education sector. Purpose-built accommodation delivered at scale within nine months from approval.
How it is structured.
A Build–Own–Operate–Transfer model on university land: the university keeps the land, HALO funds, builds and operates the accommodation, nothing sits on the university's balance sheet, and the buildings transfer to the university at term-end.
The two products.
Hi-performance on-campus accommodation aligned with university goals: studios for students (PBSA), and self-contained homes for the academics and key workers.
§ 02

Two underserved markets.

Student survey data
58%.
Experiencing financial hardship
Student survey data
64%.
Struggle to secure housing
Keyworker housing data
3%.
Of rentals affordable for teachers across NSW
Keyworker housing data
43%.
Of Victorian LGAs have zero affordable rentals for graduate teachers

Student & keyworker impact.

  • Financial hardship. Financial stress among students and keyworkers is associated with elevated dropout risk, reduced academic performance and adverse mental health outcomes. Financial insecurity also drives coping behaviours, such as overcrowding, unsafe or substandard accommodation.
  • Housing affordability. Students and keyworkers are increasingly priced out of rental markets within proximity to campus and place of work. The resulting long-distance commuting reduces time available for study, peer engagement and campus life — flow-on effects to retention and overall satisfaction.
  • Belonging & connection. Proximity to campus is strongly associated with the peer engagement and sense of belonging metrics on which universities are benchmarked. Students living further from campus consistently report lower engagement scores.

Institutional impact.

  • Enrolment capacity. Recent Government mandate linking enrolment intake to access to safe and secure housing.
  • Retention & revenue. Housing-linked attrition/churn affects both students and keyworkers nationally, undermining productivity, completion rates and workforce stability alike.
  • Reputation & equity. Affordability is consistently identified as Australia's weakest-performing dimension in the QS Best Student Cities ranking. Increasing affordable housing supply directly addresses this gap and improves destination-of-choice standing.
Sources: NHSAC 2025; Anglicare Australia (Essential Workers Snapshot, 2025)
§ 03

HALO Solution.

A turnkey Build–Own–Operate–Transfer structure delivered on university land, for the university.

Phase 01 · Build

Build.

Designed, delivered and funded.

Phase 02 · Own & Operate

Own & operate.

To university residential standards.

  • Operating entity — accommodation operated by HALO or the university, to university residential standards.
  • Asset & facilities management — LJ Hooker Group handles lifecycle asset care, maintenance and FM.
  • Price setting — university + OREIT set PBSA at market and the academic accommodation at 25% below market day one, then CPI-indexed, reset every 21 years.
  • No debt / off balance sheet — nothing sits on the University balance sheet; delivery risk stays with LJ Hooker OHOME.
Phase 03 · Transfer

Transfer.

Keep the land, own the asset at term-end.

  • Lease term — straight 100-year agreement, or 21-year lease with 4 × 21-yr renewal options. University keeps the land throughout.
  • Buy or remove, anytime — buy the buildings at cost. Transfer or removal at term-end.
  • At year 100, at the university's discretion — (1) buildings transfer to the university for free, or (2) buildings removed and recycled as part of HALO's circular solution.
OREIT · OHOME Real Estate Investment Trust
§ 04

Proposition.

01.

Capital efficient.

Fully financed long-term CPI indexed, no contingent liabilities, off balance sheet.

02.

Turnkey.

A turnkey Build–Own–Operate–Transfer structure delivered on University land, for the University.

03.

Speed & scale.

Occupancy within nine months from approvals. Minimal onsite disruption. Industrialised offsite production capacity up to 500,000 sqm per year (25,000 PBSA studios equivalent).

04.

Quality assured.

NCC-compliant. Factory-built precision with 238 digital checkpoints on the production line.

05.

Smart operating system.

One operating system for climate, lighting, sound, security, entertainment, maintenance & reception.

06.

Environmentally responsible.

Passive design and Smart OS reduce energy use and pre-empt maintenance. 90% less construction waste. Full life-cycle and circular-economy optimisation.

07.

Socially progressive.

Hi-performance, human-centric living. Rents at affordable rates, capped at CPI. ISO 9001, 14001 & 45001 certified.

08.

Governance.

Aligned to the university's sustainability and procurement policies. ESG and risk controls, audit-ready. Independently verified, ethical supply chain.

§ 05

High-performance living.

Quiet, healthy, well-designed homes that improve sleep, focus and recovery — for students and staff alike.

HALO studio interior — study station, kitchen and living space in warm timber
01

Performance & recovery.

High-performance living maximises recovery between lectures, teaching and study. Better sleep and focus underpin both retention and academic output.

02

Better environments.

High-performance, low-stress, smart homes for students and staff.

03

Staff stay, students focus.

Stronger attraction & retention; better wellbeing, sleep and focus.

§ 07

Two product offerings.

A

Product 01
Target rate
Market rate

Student accommodation.

Formats
Studio ensuite19 m²
DDA ensuite30 m²
Product 02
Target rate
25% below market

Essential worker housing.

Formats
Studio ensuite38 m²
1-bed ensuite50 m²
2-bed ensuite70 m²
§ 09
Product 01

Student accommodation.

HALO's Purpose-Built Student Accommodation features self-contained living studios planned around how students live, study and connect while delivering density and affordability.

The design aspires to student-centric design using carefully selected materials that are safe, durable and fit for purpose while allowing future flexibility in layout and operation. Communal amenity areas are located on each level and ground level — subject to site and project specific requirements.

§ Floor plans
Studio ensuite floor plan
Studio ensuite19 m²
Accessible ensuite floor plan
Accessible ensuite30 m²
Typical PBSA floor plate
Typical floorplate
HALO PBSA facade with operable timber screens
Product 02

Essential worker housing.

Self-contained homes for the professional staff, academics, elective placements, overseas placements and researchers who keep the campus running.

HALO offers a mixed-unit solution including studio, 1 bed and 2 bed units. All bedrooms have direct access to external balcony, ensuite bathroom, wardrobes and study desk. Communal amenity areas are located on ground level — layout subject to project specifications.

§ Floor plans
Studio ensuite plan
Studio ensuite38 m²
1-bed ensuite plan
1-bed ensuite50 m²
2-bed ensuite plan
2-bed ensuite70 m²
Typical academic floor plate
Typical floorplate
HALO essential worker housing exterior at dusk