Why every business should care about Community Housing: A kōrero with Succeed Legal’s Beth McCall on partnership, purpose and shared progress
We can’t do what we do alone. At Dwell, our partnerships with businesses and individuals are essential to bringing new homes and communities to life. Whether it’s through professional expertise, funding, or time, these collaborations are what help turn plans on paper into places people can call home.
One of our longest-standing partnerships is with Succeed Legal, a Wellington-based law firm with a strong sense of social responsibility. We recently chatted with Beth from Succeed, who offered her insight into what makes this partnership tick – and why more businesses should think about getting involved with community housing.
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
Succeed has been walking alongside Dwell for years now, generously providing us with significantly subsidised legal services. In fact, their founder Matt Hay provided Dwell with legal advice as part of his role at a previous law firm, long before starting Succeed. This support has been integral to Dwell as we navigate the legal maze that comes with developing homes.
Beth describes Succeed as a “socially driven firm” - less money-driven and more values-based. “I get real motivation out of helping others. It’s personally important to me that everyone has a safe home to live in.”
So it’s not just a business arrangement, it’s a shared mission.
Bringing the Work to Life
One of the real highlights for Beth has been bringing her colleagues out to see the results of their mahi – the actual homes, the communities, and the lives impacted by their legal work.
Beth says there’s a lot of really interesting legal stuff in developments. She points to Mahora Te Aroha, our community village in Kilbirnie, where a funny legal quirk emerged – a tiny strip of land, originally left out during subdivision more than a century ago, that didn’t belong to Dwell and couldn’t be built on. Thankfully, that’s exactly where Dwell wanted to create a community garden.
It’s stories like that which make the work feel real – and meaningful.
Beth’s excited to see a development through from start to finish, which she hasn’t had the chance to do yet. But she’s closely involved in our upcoming Bell Road project in Lower Hutt and looking forward to following that full journey, from land purchase to welcoming new residents through the front door.
From East London to Wellington – A Passion for Housing
Beth’s passion for housing didn’t begin here in Wellington – it was sparked during her time in London. For two years, she was part of an in-house legal team for a social housing provider in East London, working out of an office located on the bottom floor of a tenant block – much like our own setup at Mahora Te Aroha.
She worked across a mixed tenure development – private ownership, shared ownership, social tenancy, commercial – the full spectrum. A big chunk of her work focused on helping shared owners ‘staircase’ their way into full home ownership.
Beth says it was great “working in the community you’re supporting”. She worked alongside Tenancy Managers and other staff, giving her a real insight of what it takes to be an effective social housing developer and tenancy manager.
“Dwell is very lucky to have someone with this level of sector experience on our legal team” says Dwell CE Elizabeth Lester.
Pro Bono/Low Bono and Hugely Generous
Succeed is thoughtful about how they give back. Pro bono (free of charge) work is focused on individuals who cannot afford legal assistance – like tenants needing wills.
By offering deeply subsidised rates for Dwell (a 50% reduction), it allows us to stretch funding and build more homes.
It’s a game-changer. Legal costs can be high, and community housing is always a tough financial balancing act. Over the course of our partnership, Succeed has saved us more than $122,000 in legal fees – that’s money we’ve been able to put straight back into developing housing and supporting our residents. Every dollar saved with Succeed’s support means more impact on the ground. More homes. More whānau with a warm, dry place to call their own.
What’s In It for Succeed?
Now, let’s flip the lens. Because this isn’t a one-way street.
“We get a lot out of it too. Dwell is well-known and well-trusted” Beth says. The partnership has helped raise Succeed’s profile in the community, giving them a stronger reputation for values-led work. But it’s also deepened their skills – particularly in understanding how to work effectively with NGOs.
This isn’t short-term, transactional work but a long-term partnership, Beth explains. “It helps our younger staff understand our values and see how we support the community.”
And that’s where the magic really happens – when Succeed staff visit a development and see the actual homes being built, hear the stories of tenants about to move in, and realise they’ve played a part in making it all happen.
Why It Matters – For All of Us
Community housing can sometimes feel like it belongs in someone else’s corner. A job for government or a handful of dedicated providers. But the truth is, it affects all of us – and all of us can play a role in solving the housing crisis, particularly here in Wellington.
Businesses, in particular, have so much to offer. Whether it’s time, resources, funding, or professional services, partnerships like ours with Succeed show just how powerful it can be when organisations step forward with purpose.
Because when people are safely housed, they thrive. And when people thrive, so do communities. And when communities are thriving, business does better too. It’s all connected.
So, What’s Next?
We’re thrilled to have Succeed by our side, and we’re just as excited to welcome new partners into the fold. If your organisation is thinking about how it can give back, how it can do more with its work, or how it can create meaningful change right here in Wellington – we’d love to talk.
As Beth shows, it doesn’t take a huge leap. Just a willingness to care, to collaborate, and to believe that business can be a force for good.
Because with the right partners, we can do so much more.