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Career in Housing |
What is Housing Work?
Many people who live in a house they own themselves (or
their parents own) think 'housing' is only about house
prices, mortgages and estate agents. But for a start,
one third of the population live in rented housing, and
will be concerned about rents, how secure they are and
what obligations their landlord has. In Britain there
are over five million homes owned by housing
associations and local councils. They are often rented
to people on low incomes, the elderly, or people with
special needs. Rented housing like this needs people who
will manage it and provide the services that its
customers need. This is where the housing professional
comes in. |
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 More
than 150,0000 people are employed in housing and housing
management within the India. Most of these work for local
authorities and housing associations. However, housing jobs can
also be found with housing trusts, co-operatives, voluntary
organisations, the private sector and commercial bodies and in
other public service departments such as social services and
health authorities.
But what is housing work? It takes many forms, from giving
advice to homeless people on how they can go about getting a
house, to collecting rents, assessing repairs on a house,
allocating houses to tenants and even to running a multi-million
pound organisation responsible for thousands of houses in one
area. The work will vary depending upon the particular functions
of the housing organisation, its size and location. Housing
stock and social conditions vary from one city to another and
between urban and rural areas, which affects the nature of
housing work.
There have been many changes in the housing sector over the last
few years - growing owner occupation, the rise in homelessness
and repossessions, the increasing importance of housing
associations, the growth of tenant managed housing and recently,
a recognition that housing professionals needs to work with
other public services to regenerate the communities in which
people live.
If you choose to work in housing, you will have the satisfaction
of knowing that your contribution really matters, because
everyone needs somewhere decent to live. This is why many people
are attracted to housing work from other fields, as well as when
starting a career. The work is not easy and often challenging,
but the rewards in terms of fulfilment are high. |
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What sort of People work in Housing?
All kinds! But you are more likely to be suited to the work if
you have the following skills and attributes:
An interest in people's living conditions; strong communication
and negotiation skills; organisational skills; flexibility and
adaptability to a variety of different situations; ability to
work on your own initiative and under pressure; a desire to take
on responsibility; an interest in developing new skills; an
understanding of people from diverse cultural backgrounds and
with different needs.
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What Types of Housing Work are
Available?
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For those who enjoy contact with a
wide cross-section of the public, there are many opportunities
in the 'frontline' of housing, dealing directly with tenants,
their needs and their options. You could be involved in managing
an advice centre, helping the public with matters arising from
housing legislation, landlord and tenant relationships or rents;
or advising tenants on their welfare rights.
Your responsibilities could affect all sorts of initiatives from
small sheltered housing schemes to large estates, from special
needs housing to everyday maintenance of the housing service.
Most importantly, your work could have a direct and beneficial
effect on people and their standard of living.
However, there are many roles within housing and you can choose
to specialise in housing law, housing finance or organisational
management. |
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Do I Need to be Qualified to Work in
Housing?
More and more organisations require or encourage staff to
acquire housing qualifications. As the professional organisation
for people who work in housing, the Chartered Institute of
Housing offers a flexible and accessible range of housing
qualifications for housing workers at all levels and a variety
of membership grades to reflect study and experience. |
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How do I get a Job in Housing?
 Vacancies
in housing range from clerical work through to senior
management. Related jobs also exist in areas such as
environmental health and law.
Success will depend upon your own efforts, but there are jobs
available in housing throughout the India and even abroad. You
can find job advertisements in the local and national press, as
well as the weekly magazine Inside Housing, which might be in
your local careers office or library.
Housing organisations also list
vacancies, so contact local authorities and housing associations
in your area - you'll find these in your local Yellow Pages.
Alternatively, if you are a school leaver or graduate wanting to
gain first hand experience of housing at the grass roots level,
you could contact your local Council for Voluntary Services or
volunteer agency for information on local community-based
housing organisations. Many successful housing professionals
begin their careers in this way. For further contact details.
Job applications or circulation of your CV to prospective
employers will be enhanced if you have some experience of
housing work or voluntary work experience. However, related
skills and personal qualities can be just as important. |
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