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CIH president makes appeal to sector to promote housing as a career
Elly Hoult, president of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), has called on the sector to encourage people to take up housing as a career.
In her presidential address this week, Ms Hoult said she was making a “call to action” to housing professionals to emphasise the benefits of working in the sector.
“Imagine this: there are 500 people in this room. If each of us inspired just five others to consider a career in housing, think about the impact we could have,” she said.
“I need you to take this back into your organisations and do something to help. Share the message. Inspire others. Spark conversations.”
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The appeal is part of Ms Hoult’s Choose Housing presidential campaign, which will run throughout her time in office. The campaign will raise awareness of the career opportunities in the housing sector.
Inside Housing’s Housing Hires campaign is also promoting the social housing sector as a place to work, with the aim of supporting people to find and develop careers with housing associations and councils.
Ms Hoult is also chief operating officer and deputy chief executive at Peabody, and took up her role as president of the CIH at the trade body’s annual general meeting on 14 October.
She described her own upbringing in council housing, remembering the moment she and her family walked into a newly built home.
“That moment didn’t just change my family’s life. Looking back, it gave me something else – a sense of purpose,” she said.
She also spoke about her experience entering the housing sector as a school leaver at 16 “with no clear path ahead”.
“Housing isn’t just a job; it’s a vocation, a calling. It’s a profession. A profession with social purpose at its core,” she said.
“If we want to attract the best talent and retain it, we need to shout this from the rooftops.”
Ms Hoult added that the campaign is not just about attracting new people to the sector, but also “about supporting them to thrive”.
“Housing is dynamic, built on skills that are as diverse as the people in this room: technical expertise, people skills, leadership, adaptability and resilience,” she said.
Inside Housing has previously spoken to Jill Murray, Ms Hoult’s predecessor as CIH president, about her walk up Scafell Pike to raise money for Action for Children and her new role as chief executive of Launchpad, a homeless veterans’ charity.
