PHOTO: The Eastern Bay Community Foundation’s new engagement manager, Mike Howe, is flanked by Victoria Radley and Brian Young from the Rangimarie Housing Trust. Photo Sven Carlsson
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THE Eastern Bay Community Foundation’s new engagement manager Mike Howe received a guided tour of Opotiki’s Rangimarie Housing Trust this week (25/07/24) and learned more about its future plans.
Trustees Victoria Radley and Brian Young met with Mike Howe and shared with him their vision for the future of the Trust and discussed opportunities where the Foundation and the Trust could work together.
Mr Howe has recently returned from living in Scotland for many years and resides in Opotiki.
”Mike was born and raised in the well-known Howe whanau in Opotiki, by his grandparents Gloria and Jack Howe,” Mr Young said. ”He went on to have a successful career as a professional rugby player in the UK, eventually starting his own sports management company, managing rugby players into club rugby.”
Ms Radley said the Rangimarie Housing Trust was grateful for the dividend paid out from the EBCF fund. ”That will help towards the cost of our next project,” she said.
The key objective for the trust is to build and maintain quality low-cost rental homes in Opotiki. It owns 16 one- and two-bedroom units – four at King Street and 12 at Richard Street. ”At Richard Street, the eight duplexes were built with social housing grants during the 80s, plus there are two two-bedroom units and two stand-alone single bedroom units,” Mr Young said.
