I'd definitely check out rtl_433 since you already have sensors that are compatible. You will require a compatible SDR which can be fairly cheap or expensive depending on your needs. The output will be much easier to work with than the junk the DHT outputs (for accuracy, quality, and reliability). There is some learning required, but nothing someone with enough desire can't figure out. I have played with the project in the past but decided to go a different route in the past. I have recently decided to go back in this direction and it is now incorporated into my RPi + HG setup and it's working quite well.
The Acurite brand is not exactly the highest quality components you can find. However the price point in combination with the good quality puts them at a bit of a sweet spot for many. The sensors can be had for around $8-15 for temperature/humidity towers and they offer a large number of options. The one down side that you must keep in mind is that Acurite only has a limited number of channels for their sensors. So if you opt for the 592TX or 592TXR (very common module at the box stores), you will be limited to 3 units due to only having channels A, B, and C. I don't know if it's possible to use more on the same channel as they do have a unique ID. Either way, this is not a limitation due to other options being available.
If the Acurite wasn't good enough for your needs, there are many other options from other brands. I have been fairly happy with my VN1TXC 5in1 station. I haven't looked into repair as it has worked without issue for several years. I see them all over the place so they must be reasonably good or else they'd have been taken down otherwise.
As for using the RPiZW, I can't say how that would work. In my experience, the first generation hardware for the RPi was not particularly powerful. I originally ran rtl_433 on my RPi1B and it worked fine. However, I found it used a large amount of resources as did HG. I would not consider using these on the same 1st gen RPi unless you are ok with missed signals by either the SDR or your HA as well as the relatively high chance of crashes. When I revisited rtl_433 on my RPi3B, I found it worked much better even with HG running concurrently.