View publication - Chartered Institute of Housing

FUTURE-PROOFING THE HOUSING PROFESSION
Future-proofing the housing profession – responding to
challenge in the 21st century
By Veronica Coatham, Head of Housing and Community Studies, Birmingham City
University and Professor Anne Hill, Housing and Educational Consultant
Summary
In a period of rapid change, how people working in the housing industry
are trained and developed needs to keep pace and evolve. Following an
examination of the pressures facing the housing profession there is an
exploration of what this means for the education and development of housing
professionals of the future. This paper argues that there are opportunities
presented which can support a different approach to learning and
development which should help create this new professional, who is reflexive,
adaptable and able to grow to meet any future challenges.
Introduction – the changing context for social housing
Over the last hundred years or so social housing organisations have developed strategies
for combining their business role of developing, maintaining and letting properties to
that of providing support to vulnerable households and community engagement.
However, recent government policy is challenging the equilibrium which has existed for
many years, both forcing and incentivising social housing landlords to move away from
a ‘social’ model to a more business-focused, commercial model, which challenges the
traditional ethos and values of the sector.
For staff at all levels this presents a dilemma as there is a mismatch between
expectations to keep people securely housed and the need to take a tougher approach
to protect and manage the asset base. Social housing landlords are developing new
forms of tenure which are attracting new client groups with different expectations of
service from their landlords. Yet homelessness is also increasingly affecting a more
diverse range of households. In addition, although central government suggests its
recent agenda is providing space for innovation; social housing organisations are
experiencing a number of complex policy changes emanating from different ministerial
departments, intended to drive through political priorities such as the need for
establishing stringent austerity measures in the public sector and most recently,
responding to public pressures over immigration. These centrally driven priorities do
23