Lifewise’s Merge Community Team

Lifewise’s Merge Community Team is made up of people with lived experience of homelessness. Many of the team members have been involved in co-design projects led by Lifewise and other designers in the sector.

All have been trained in design methodology in-house and some have also attended external training including the TSI Co-design Master Classes, and Ngā Aho, the Māori Designers Network.

Rob Smith, Awatea Hawke, Katz Ruatara, Mike Niwha and Ray Paul all have lived experienced of homelessness. They have worked on the design of a number of initiatives and reports including Housing First, Inside the Cup, Mana Wahine, and other collaborative design projects currently in progress.