Arriving in a new country as a refugee is a bureaucratic labyrinth at the worst possible moment. Which agency handles housing? What’s a tax number and why do you need one before you can get a bank account? How do you enrol a child in school? The information exists. It’s just scattered, written in English, and assumes context that newcomers can’t be expected to have.
New Here is an AI guide that answers those questions in plain language, in the language of the person asking. Built on the Claude API, it draws from curated, verified information about New Zealand settlement services: government agencies, community organisations, legal rights, practical first steps.
The platform supports 25 languages at launch. Conversations are structured around real settlement milestones: arriving, finding housing, getting a job, understanding the health system, navigating education. Not a search engine. A guide.
New Here is technically complete and waiting for a charity partner with the community relationships to take it to the people who need it. The code is ready. The conversations need to start.