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The Housing Accommodation & Support Initiative (HASI) is an innovative tri-partisan program funded by the Centre for Mental Health between Non-Government supported accommodation organisations, the Office of Community Housing and Area Mental Health Services. The Initiative was established to provide high level accommodation support for over 100 individuals with a mental illness. It reduces the pressure on hospital beds and increases independence and privacy for low-income people with mental disorders by providing additional accommodation and support in the community. In the past, supported accommodation for people with high level or complex needs was mostly provided in group home settings. HASI is based on a different model which has a focus on securing individual housing that is linked to a range of coordinated support services. This model separates the functions of landlord, disability support and mental health care. The main emphasis of the HASI program is to bring people home - free from psychiatric institutions, homelessness or out of area placements. A key component is voluntary participation in the program. HASI is linked with other acute and non-acute inpatient initiatives of the Centre for Mental Health and also complements a number of other supported housing projects being undertaken by the Department of Housing to assist people with complex needs.
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