As 2025 draws to a close, Empowered Liveability is proud to look back on a year defined by collaboration, innovation, and a deepening commitment to safe, accessible, and meaningful housing for people with disabilities across Australia. What began as a year of strategic focus quickly grew into one of our most impactful periods yet – shaped by community engagement, education, advocacy, and the incredible stories of the participants and families we support.
Strengthening Our Voice: Social Media, Podcasts & Digital Growth
Throughout the year, our digital presence continued to expand, becoming a vital tool for connection and education. Our social media channels featured more than just updates – they became a space for storytelling, sector insights, and community celebration. From spotlighting SDA tenant responsibilities to sharing lived-experience perspectives, our content reached wider and more engaged audiences than ever before.
This growth was amplified through powerful podcast conversations. Nicole Doherty’s appearances on Sarah Knows Support Workers and Dr Johari Amor’s podcast, not to mention Disability Housing Solutions podcast The DHS Difference where Nicole and Goro Gupta opened up a meaningful dialogue about SDA, home ownership, sector reform, and the realities facing participants and providers with Dave Esler. These conversations not only strengthened Empowered Liveability’s role as an industry thought leader but also highlighted the importance of transparent, values-driven practice across the disability housing ecosystem.
In addition to our growing social media and podcast presence, our team was sought after for national media discussions from both Channel 10’s The Project and ABC’s Four Corners. Each of these became national discussions – one for the failures surrounding access to education from the source – the NDIS – and the other dived into what has been the hottest topic this year across the NDIS sector – the disability housing crisis. Both Nicole and Goro led these conversations exploring how poor education, and inadequate regulation has not only hurt the sector but ultimately has caused the greatest harm to participants and their families.
Reaching New Audiences Through Print & Radio
2025 also marked our expansion into new communication channels. Our features in the Geelong Independent – combined with a digital publication presence – helped us reach thousands of local readers seeking reliable, practical information about SDA. Complementing this was our radio advertising campaign on Bay 93.9, which played a key role in increasing regional awareness of Empowered Liveability’s mission, vacancies, and community engagement initiatives.
Together, these platforms strengthened our visibility across Victoria and allowed us to speak directly to participants, families, and providers exploring SDA for the first time.
Education, Empowerment & Sector Collaboration
One of the most rewarding aspects of 2025 was our contribution to sector education. Our participation in Lunch & Learn sessions, provider workshops, and home & living events created opportunities to demystify SDA, share practical guidance, and empower other providers to deliver better outcomes for participants. These sessions—held across Geelong, Ballarat, Melbourne, and beyond brought together support coordinators, SIL providers, allied health professionals, families, and local community leaders.
In addition to attending these events, the team has also been actively working with LaTrobe University, Bond University and CSIRO to gather much needed data around the disability housing sector. This data will go a long way to helping shape future changes, growth and understanding of what needs to change for the betterment of those living with a disability and their families and also this data will help support the sector to provide what is needed in ways that actually serve the community long into the future. These ideas were discussed heavily at this year’s NDIS National Disability Summit where leaders, sector providers and decision-makers were given a frank and honest breakdown of where things are truly at within the NDIS in 2025 and where we need to make changes if we hope to move the needle.
In addition to all of these opportunities, we continued to engage in open home events that welcomed participants and their support networks into real SDA environments. These events allowed people to see firsthand what high-quality, thoughtfully designed accessible housing looks like – often becoming the first step toward life-changing moves.
Our team continued showing up at conferences and expos across the country, including sector-defining events such as the Australian Disability Service Awards and the National SDA Conference. These experiences reinforced a shared truth: meaningful change in the NDIS happens when providers collaborate rather than compete.
Celebrating Tenant Success & Appendix H Wins
Among our proudest achievements in 2025 were the successful transitions of multiple participants and families supported under Appendix H. These moves were not just about housing – they were about dignity, reunification, safety, and restoring quality of life. Each transition represented months of coordination, advocacy, and teamwork between Empowered Liveability, support coordinators, families, and NDIS decision-makers.
Seeing families remain together, or participants finally step into homes that support both their independence and their daily living needs, reaffirmed why we do what we do. These stories continue to guide our values, our practice, and our mission.
Championing Inclusion Through All-Abilities Sport
Another standout feature of 2025 was Empowered Liveability’s deepened commitment to all-abilities sport and community participation. We proudly supported the Reclink Power Cats with The Power In You Project as well as the All-Abilities Basketball and All-Abilities Soccer, recognising the vital role inclusive sport plays in confidence-building, social connection, and physical wellbeing. These partnerships weren’t just sponsorships – they were opportunities to celebrate ability, strengthen community belonging, and stand alongside athletes who embody persistence, teamwork, and joy. Watching participants, families, and supporters fill the sidelines this year reminded us of the powerful impact that accessible recreation has on quality of life. Our ongoing support of these leagues reflects our belief that thriving in the community goes far beyond housing – it includes connection, purpose, and the chance to be part of something bigger.
Strengthening Partnerships & Building the Future
This year also brought countless collaborations – with SIL providers, support coordinators, builders, investors, allied health partners, councils, and community organisations. Together, we explored innovative approaches to SDA, attended joint events, and shared resources that lift the sector as a whole.
And what better way to show our support of community organisations than donning our best suits and gowns to attend the annual gala balls of the Power In You Project, Friend in Me, and Keeley’s Cause. The opportunity to join the Power In You Project and Keeley’s Cause to celebrate another year of these two organisations achieving incredible things for their communities, it was the event put together by Friend in Me that had one of the most profound impacts on our entire team.
Weeks of behind-the-scenes collaboration from Tanya Sexton ensured that as many of our tenants who wanted to attend this evening, were supported to do so. Our tenants danced, laughed, connected, and were given the chance to feel like ordinary people enjoying a fun Saturday night out – something that many have never had the privilege due to a lack of support to do so. Our team were thrilled and honoured to have played a small part in helping bring this opportunity to them and we look forward to more of this in 2026.
Our commitment to partnership remains grounded in one belief: when we support each other, participants benefit.
As we look forward to 2026, Empowered Liveability remains dedicated not only to improving how we operate but to driving positive, sustainable growth across the NDIS home and living landscape. We will continue to share knowledge, elevate good practice, and advocate for accessible, human-centred housing for all.
2025 was a year of connection, collaboration, and progress. And it is only the beginning.
