Ricky Houghton

Ricky Martin Houghton (7 April 1960 – 18 July 2022) was a Māori rangatira, entrepreneur, businessman and social service advocate.[1]

Ricky Houghton 2021 - Te Puea Marae Wai 2750 Hearing

He is known for his contributions towards the development of Māori in the social service sector, and his pioneering of the housing space. Ricky Houghton is a founder and chief executive officer of He Korowai Trust, a two decade long trustee for Waipareira Trust, and one of the three founders of Te Piringatahi o te Maungarongo Marae.[2]

Ricky Houghton was the recipient of the 2018 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Local Hero Award[3] and the 2019 University of Auckland Outstanding Māori Business Leader Award.[4] Ricky Houghton was posthumously awarded the Te Kura a Tāne award at the 2023 National Māori Housing Conference in Rotorua.


Early and personal life
Ricky Houghton - 1980s

Ricky Houghton was born 7 April 1960 to an English father, Gilbert-Benjamin Houghton, and a Māori mother, Tukino Kay Latimer, in Auckland, New Zealand. Houghton has iwi affiliations with Ngāti Kahu and Ngāpuhi.

Ricky was put into state care and was a ward of the state between 1968 and 1972. He was put into care homes around the country, most notably Lake Alice Hospital and Oakley Hospital, and was subject to abuse whilst in care.[5] Ricky is a nephew to Graham Latimer, and spent a portion of his youth living with his uncle in Tinopai following his departure from state care via the Matua Whāngai programme. After Ricky returned to Auckland, he would meet his wife Rosie Houghton whilst attending Rangeview Intermediate School.

Moengaroa Rosie Houghton (née.Peeni), is of Māori descent and is affiliated with the Iwis of Ngāti Hine and Ngāpuhi, she is a descendant of Kupe-Nuku, Nukutawhiti, Rāhiri, Hineamaru and Te Ruki Kawiti. Ricky and Rosie settled in Massey, West Auckland, in 1979. Ricky has 3 children (Shane, Sharlene, and Crystal) and 13 grandchildren. Ricky Houghton died on 18 July 2022, surrounded by family, after a long and strenuous battle with cancer.[6]

Career
He Korowai Trust, established 2001 by Ricky Houghton.

Ricky Houghton was known for his staunch advocacy for the wellbeing of Māori ; he carried decades' worth of experience working with communities and held a number of certificates with the Institute of Directors and New Zealand College of Management.

Houghton attempted to improve the quality of life for Māori families in the Auckland and Muriwhenua regions. Through his works with Waipareira Trust, Houghton would begin to develop a deep understanding of the social needs of Māori and would then take his skills to the Northland region, where he would founded He Korowai Trust, based in Kaitaia, New Zealand on 17 October 2001.[7]

He Korowai Trust was founded based on developing Tino rangatiratanga. Through He Korowai Trust, Ricky Houghton would come to help hundreds of families find homes in Northland and take thousands off the streets. He would later come to develop a housing strategy which merged both Māori and mainstream philosophies to house families on Māori land.[8]

Te Piringatahi o te Maungarongo Marae
Ricky Houghton, standing with, Ngakuru Peeni, Toti Peeni, and Jack Bradlaugh Luckens- 1987

During the mid and late 1980s, there were talks amongst the Waitakere Māori community about the possibility of the opening of another Urban Marae in West Auckland following the opening of Hoani Waititi Marae in 1980. Ricky Houghton was a main advocate for the idea and spearheaded the approach which eventually lead to the development of another West Auckland Marae. Te Piringatahi o Te Maungarongo Marae would open on the 30th October 1992.[9]

According to John Tamihere, " Ricky was instrumental in raising the resources and consent for Te Piringatahi o te Maungarongo Marae in Massey, West Auckland".

Ricky was one of the three original founders of Te Piringatahi Marae, the other two founders were his wife's parents, Ngakuru John Peeni, and Toti Celia Peeni, (née.Shortland), who were both of Ngāti Hine, Te Orewai descent.

The Kawa, (Māori ceremonial protocols),[10] of Te Piringatahi o te Maungarongo Marae, is that of the Northern regions.



References
  1. "Ricky Houghton - He Korowai Trust," Māori Television. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  2. "Ricky Houghton - A Big Heart & An Even Bigger Legacy," Te Hiku Media, 21 July 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  3. "Ricky Houghton," nzawards.org.nz, Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  4. Playfair, M., "Outstanding Māori business leaders honoured," University of Auckland, 12 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  5. Husband, D., "Ricky Houghton: I’d heard all about the Far North being doomed. But I saw opportunities," E-Tangata, 25 March 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  6. "Death of Far North icon Ricky Houghton prompts grief, questions over how his life's work for the poor goes on," New Zealand Herald, 20 July 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  7. Piper, D., "Māori housing advocate Ricky Houghton remembered as champion for the people," stuff.co.nz, 18 July 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  8. "He Korowai Trust challenges the Crown’s housing policy," Māori Television, 26 March 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  9. Hayden, Leonie (2018-06-23). "Ricky Houghton and the whare that love built". The Spinoff. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  10. Basil Keane, 'Te kawa o te marae', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/marae-protocol-te-kawa-o-te-marae (accessed 5 May 2023)
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