HARIKOA FOUNDATION
What Harikoa Does
A practical, integrated solution.
Harikoa Foundation exists to integrate people with disabilities, as far as possible, into normal community living, where quality of life is the measure of success.
We bring together four areas that families usually have to manage separately: housing surety, social connection, financial surety, and coordinated disability support.
By working together as a cooperative, families can achieve better outcomes, reduce risk, and create long-term security that is impossible to build alone.
Meaningful Life, Measured Properly
We use clear quality of life domains to understand where life is going well, and where families are under pressure - so progress can be tracked over time.
Our approach is grounded in internationally recognised quality of life frameworks that focus on:
-
Emotional wellbeing
-
Physical health
-
Social connection and belonging
-
Personal development
-
Self-determination and choice
-
Financial security
-
Rights and dignity
-
Safe, suitable housing
Quality of Life Circles
These are small empowered teams, structured around the primary aim to improve the Quality of Life for people with disability, on an ongoing and transparent basis.
Who Is This For?
Harikoa is designed for people with disabilities who especially want to live in a more understanding and, inclusive environment. For some, it is about living a more independent life. For others, it is about the transfer of care when families are no longer around.
It is for families who are asking the hard questions about the future, and who want to work together with others to create something lasting.
Why A Cooperative Model?
Many families try to solve housing and financial security alone through individual trusts or one-off property solutions. These often become unstable over time as circumstances change.
A cooperative approach allows families to pool resources, share risk, reduce costs, and create a portfolio of options that serve many people over decades.
Co-ownership means families are not tenants at the mercy of landlords or government policy changes. It means real security.
Our Four Focus Areas
1: Housing Surety – A Place Called Home
Housing surety means long-term stability, dignity, and a home that stays suitable as needs change. We aim to offer a portfolio of housing options over time, so people are not trapped in one fragile arrangement. What Housing Surety Looks Like We are exploring different housing models to suit different needs and preferences: •Apartments or single units for maximum independence •Shared homes for those who enjoy living with others •Four-Leaf Clover cluster homes that balance privacy with social connection and shared support Each person has their own private space, but the design enables natural connection, efficient support, and lower build costs through repeatable, accessible design. Designed for Independence and Connection Homes must balance privacy with natural neighbour connection, so people can belong without being crowded. We work in partnership with organisations like Laura Fergusson Trust, using flexible, small-scale, inclusive housing designs where each person has dignity and choice. Cost-Effective Build and Maintain By using repeatable design and building at scale, we can significantly reduce construction costs and provide excellent value for money. This is not about cutting corners. It is about smart design that serves people well and makes housing affordable for more families.
2: BestLife Connection Services
Belonging, natural friendships, social life, work, and community contribution. A meaningful life needs more than care. It needs people, friends, purpose, and belonging. BestLife Connection Services focus on natural friendships, social events, community contribution, and support for work and daily life participation. What BestLife Offers •Support to build and maintain real friendships •Social events and activities that bring people together •Pathways to work, volunteering, and community contribution •Connections to wider community, not just disability services •Family and sibling connection Loneliness and isolation affect thousands of people with disability and their families. BestLife is about changing that. Starting with BestLife in Rodney We are starting BestLife connection services as soon as possible, even before housing is built, so people can begin forming friendships and building community now.
3: Financial Surety
Protecting the future, reducing risk, building long-term security through working together. Financial surety affects everything else: housing, support, stability, dignity, hope for the future. Many families try to solve this alone through trusts or one-off property solutions, but these often become unstable over time as circumstances change, government policies shift, or rental markets tighten. A cooperative approach can reduce costs, spread risk, increase value for money, and create more options over time. How It Works The Community Fund is designed to own a portfolio of properties, providing housing security while also protecting and growing family capital. We are driving this as a group of like-minded organisations to generate housing scale and efficiencies. Families participate at different levels depending on their circumstances: •Some families may contribute significant capital and become co-owners, gaining wealth protection and long-term housing security •Some families may participate through lower entry contributions that build progressive ownership over time •Some families may seek rental options, which depend on partnerships with impact investors and community housing providers The key principle is working together, not alone. Why This Matters When families work alone, they carry all the risk. One change in relationships, health, policy, or property value can destabilise everything, witnessed through painful experiences across New Zealand to date. When families work together through the Fund, risk is shared, costs are lower, and options are greater. Yet, ownership is retained.
4: Disability Support Services
"Just enough" support, coordinated with trusted providers, with real oversight and admin relief. We focus on "just enough" support, coordinated around the person, so independence grows and families are not carrying the admin load forever. Support is delivered through a network of providers aligned to shared principles, with stronger oversight and practical coordination. What This Means •Individually based support teams who know the person well •Coordination across housing, health, daily living, work, and social connection •Admin services that take the burden off families •Free choice in support providers, within a network of trusted partners •Real oversight to ensure quality and safety Why Coordination Matters Families tell us the system is fragmented, hard to navigate, and "just too administrative." Harikoa does not deliver disability support directly. We work in partnership with trusted providers and help coordinate services so families can focus on what matters.