Housing manager/officer

Job description

In Ireland, local authorities are the main provider of social housing for people who need housing and cannot afford to provide accommodation from their own resources. Local authority housing is allocated according to housing need, and rents are based on a household's ability to pay.

Housing managers’ work with local councils, housing associations, tenant management organisations and other companies involved in housing to ensure that housing standards are met and that the team delivers an efficient and on-budget service. Housing managers are responsible for the oversight of all administration, maintenance and management of rented properties on behalf of the local authorities. Their duties include carrying out regular inspections to check that the properties are being kept in a good state of repair, assessing applicants and allocating accommodation, and enforcing housing regulation by dealing with broken agreements and squatters. It is critical for the housing manager to ensure all regulations are adhered to when it comes to providing adequate housing for low to moderate income families.

Work activities

• Assessing housing needs and housing conditions and making sure that the best use is made of existing resources.
• Working closely with committees of councillors, architects and builders, social services, tenants' groups and private housing associations.
• Dealing with breaches of tenancy agreements and initiating legal proceedings when all other avenues have failed.
• Carrying out regular inspections of properties.

Work conditions

Travel: during the working day can be common.
Working hours: can involve evenings and occasional weekends though not normally public holidays.
Location: mainly in the larger urban areas.
Opportunities for self-employment: unlikely.

Typical employers

• Local councils
• Housing associations
• Tenant management organisations.

Career development

Development is likely to lead to senior managerial positions.

Entry requirements and training

Specific degree subjects required

Open to graduates and non-graduates of any discipline.

Other relevant degree subjects

• Business
• Economics
• Property management
• Facilities management
• Housing studies
• Law
• Management
• Politics
• Public administration
• Social policy
• Social studies
• Sociology.

Postgraduate study

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not required.

Training

Training mostly takes place on the job.

Skills and qualities

• Ability to relate to people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• An in-depth understanding of the benefits system and the ability to interpret and explain it clearly to clients.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including report writing.
• Impartiality and the ability to treat clients in a way which is non-judgemental and without bias.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage a wide and varied caseload.
• Capable of working both on own initiative and as part of a team.

Further information

Website carrying job advertisements

www.localgovernmentjobs.ie
www.nihe.gov.uk/index/wwu_home/careers.htm
www.myhousingcareer.com

Professional bodies

Chartered Institute for Housing
Chartered Institute for Housing (NI)
Housing Institute of Ireland

Further sources of information

Cluid Housing Association
Focus Ireland
Homeless Agency
IPA Housing Unit
Irish Council for Social Housing
Northern Ireland Housing Executive
Respond!
Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency
Threshold