The disability housing lifeline for Kiwis - paid for offshore

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

A national-first housing development for the intellectually disabled has desperate families looking to move to Paeroa, while the $12 million price tag will be picked up by overseas donations.

The new co-living housing development pilot with a blend of independence and care has recently broken ground in Paeroa.

Coined ‘Project Paeroa’ and nestled in the new $60 million Paeroa Hills subdivision, the pilot programme contains 12 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units for 16 residents.

The project is a collaboration between inclusive living house developer Assisting Different Abilities Peoples Trust (ADAPT) and the Supported Lifestyle Hauraki Trust (SLHT).

The $12 million price tag is fronted by the former via overseas philanthropic funds, with the latter providing 24/7 staff once operational.

The high need is clear with SLHT chief executive Samantha Lee already receiving phone calls from families showing interest, and some 'are desperately looking for something and are willing to move'.

'Largely, it will be people coming in if they're supported by us. All the funding is taken care of so they don't need to rent it.'

The development has been years in the making according to Lee. She said the major goal was to create housing that looks like “anyone would want to live in” rather than something resembling an institutional facility.

The concept of universal design while maintaining a “normal house” feel was essential, becoming the housing’s key point of difference. Features like load-bearing soap caddies and toilet rails capable of supporting up to 150kg show how accessibility was integrated without compromising the everyday feel.

'In rest homes or hospitals they have handrails… we wanted to do away with that idea but still have the functionality so that it looks like a normal house, Lee said.

'It's a central part of us delivering the service we do in terms of making sure people feel as though they are just like everybody else. It's not a gated community, it's just having someone else with them.“

The design is a 'crossover' for those who want a flatting environment versus a more independent lifestyle, ADAPT chief executive Tony Emett added.

'You can still have your social interaction but you can also have your privacy, your own space and your independence through the universal design, meaning you don't need support around you so much because you can do more in your own home.'

Hauraki District Council mayor Toby Adams is a big backer of the project and is pleased to see it getting across the line.

'Communities are made up of all different types of people and the people they're designing this for are just as important to the community as anybody else,' he said.

'Having them embedded in the community is a fantastic outcome.'

The thought into design as well as the levels of privacy, the links to the outer community and 'considerations through landscaping' is what makes it a new concept, Emett says.

Even small detailing about each unit having a resident-facing and private-facing decks, providing residents with options instead of a one-size-fits-all model.

'If you're feeling in a social mood you might go one way [and] if your confidence isn't up for the next day you'll take a more private path,“ Emett said.

When asked why New Zealand doesn’t have any similar facilities, Lee said it isn’t through a lack of intention but rather financial and resource retrains.

'(ADAPT) is probably the first specialist disability housing provider that's not also running a service,“ Emett said.

“We haven't got the budget to build for thousands of people that need houses but what we're hoping to do is get other providers thinking 'we can do this too'.

The goal date for completion is May 2028.