Look where the houses went - part deux

We blogged earlier about the irony of the houses that Hone Harawira was arrested for supposedly trying to protect have ended up in his electorate. 

But when we did a bit of digging about the He Korowai Trust and its CEO Ricky Houghton, we found a story that merited telling all on its own, in isolation from the MP for Te Tai Tokerau.

You can find out more about the Trust at its website. This page lists the staff, and the trustees. We note that the trustees include representatives of the Labour Party (Shane Jones) and the Maori Party (Naida Glavish). Hone Harawira is not a trustee, and we're not sure whether any of the other trustees have Mana Party or Harawira connections. Perhaps one of our diligent readers can assist.

Not only has the He Korowai Trust partnered with the Government in the provision of social housing by "recycling" the Glen Innes state houses; there has also been some sterling work in helping whanau who have not into difficulties to retain their homes; check this out, from 2011, and from the ASB Community Trust's website:

Kaitaia’s He Korowai Trust saves families from eviction when their homes are subject to a mortgagee sale.

He Korowai Trust are the heroes of the far North of New Zealand, a region experiencing economic crisis. Based in Kaitaia, their team saves at least one home a week from mortgagee sale. In this video He Korowai client Rachel talks to us about her experience with the Trust, how they saved her home and helped her build a brighter future. He Korowai Trust is funded through the ASB Community Trust.
CEO Ricky Houghton says the organisation has stepped in to save over 500 family homes and only three have been lost.
“We have a group of skilled people in our Homelessness Intervention Team who save family homes from mortgagee sales around the Far North,” he says.  “They save the homes, save the families money and avoid homelessness.”
By providing a combination of budgeting advice, intervention and advocacy, He Korowai Trust has seen more than 630 families improving their financial situation.
“We are a service of last resort,” says Ricky. “They must be refused help from everywhere else, so people see us as an oasis of hope. We’re very proud that we’re able to help.”
However, success has created more demand and, with 65 mortgagee sales on its books already and two more added each week, the organisation’s small team has been struggling.
“We’ve reached saturation point,” admits Ricky, “but now a grant from ASB Community Trust is going to help us build our capacity and improve our capability.”

This is a really good-news story; a committed band of like-minded people working with people that no-one else will bankroll. As Mr Houghton notes “We are a service of last resort”. He Korowai Trust is not just dishing out money willy-nilly; there are doing practical things to improve the lot of people in the Far North.

And Mr Houghton himself seems like a pretty amazing bloke. TVNZ profiled him in 2007, and this transcript appears online:

Depending on who is talking, Ricky Houghton is either a saint or pure trouble – the tall Maori with a broad smile and a ton of cheek has a vision to transform the lives of poor Maori in rural Northland – and he’s a long way down the track to achieving that.
‘Heart Of The North’ follows the story of Ricky Houghton (today at 5.30pm on TV ONE). Deeply moved by the poverty traps enveloping his people, Houghton set up an organisation in central Kaitaia, He Korowai Trust, to assist with numerous problems. The results have been impressive – nearly 170 homes rescued from mortgagee sales, families back on the land, crops sprouting, small businesses started, scores of previously dysfunctional people on the road to independence.
A father at 14, and a grandfather of eight at 45, Houghton spent much of his early life in foster homes and was shunned by his peers because of his mother’s serious mental illness. But Houghton’s hard early life shaped him into a resilient man. He’s one of those guys who has a new idea every five minutes and has a genuine dream for his people. Houghton is passionate about moving Maori people from dependence to independence – so far his ideas seem to be working.
Walk down the streets of Kaitaia with Houghton and just about everyone seems to like and admire him. Government departments in the north rate him highly as someone who may have created a formula for helping Maori truly engage in some self-determination.
Houghton gives his dream more than just a token effort. Although supported recently with funding from a Vodafone ‘World of Difference’ grant, Houghton needs to go looking for money to run the He Korowai Trust each year. He even mortgaged his own home near Kaitaia to underpin the trust.
When asked how he’ll manage, he smiles broadly and tells stories like the time he was photographed by a newspaper outside the Auckland District Court. They confused Houghton with a notorious gang member but he walked away with a cheque from the newspaper for well into six figures. Even then he gave most of the money away, says his wife Rose. 

The key phrase of the story above is this one: "Houghton is passionate about moving Maori people from dependence to independence – so far his ideas seem to be working." We're sure that aspiration resonates with Paula Bennett, and we're sure that Mr Houghton's attitude that Maori can do better has helped the He Korowai Trust build a healthy relationship with John Key's Government.

But his attitude and aspirations are in complete contrast to those of Hone Harawira who seems content to keep Maori dependent on the state. We reckon that is a recipe for failure.

So today we salute Ricky Houghton and everyone involved in the He Korowai Trust. They are doing a remarkable job in one of New Zealand's more impoverished communities, and they deserve recognition.