At the time he had also been working as an articled clerk in his father's law firm, Mills, Oakley and McKay.
At Houghton's funeral, former Victorian Premier Lindsay Thompson praised him for his conservation work, telling mourners that "That probably proved to be the best $6 million the government spent that year because [Labor planning minister] Evan Walker took up the project and Southbank is now one of Melbourne's great assets."
He served on the council for fifteen years, and in that time was Minister for Social Welfare (1973); Health (1976–1979); and, from 1980 to 1985, the portfolios of Conservation, Lands, and Soldier Settlement.
Today, Houghton is best-remembered for his work cleaning up HM Prison Pentridge and the Yarra River.
As a result of his work, the Victorian Government spent six million Australian dollars cleaning up the area.