We sat down with Raymond Huang, Assistant Development Manager - Mangere Development at Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities recently, to find out what makes him tick. 

What does your role involve?
I support the Development Managers and Senior Development Managers in delivering the masterplanning, civil and infrastructure design, and delivery of state, affordable and market housing in the Mangere West A and Mangere East neighbourhoods.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
I really love the community involvement aspect of my role. At Kāinga Ora, we’re not just focusing on delivering civil infrastructure and housing - we’re working with the people here to build homes and communities that will thrive. While that may be more challenging than what you’d find working in typical private development, I enjoy the fact that we’re working hard to ensure we’re meeting the community’s aspirations and needs.

What do you love most about the Mangere community?
Everyone that I have spoken to in the community has shown great pride in their neighbourhood, family and history of the area. They’re all so passionate about the future of their community and how they can contribute to it. I also love listening to stories and local people’s experiences in the community, which are important for guiding me in my everyday work.

What were you doing previously?
I was an urban planning consultant at a large property advisory firm in Auckland.

What do you like doing outside of the office
Outside of the office, I love to go fishing on a boat and various fishing spots on the North Shore. I’m also a huge Arsenal football fan.