Chartered Institute of Housing 2024 vice president election

A manifesto for change, growth and innovation

Who I am? Julie Haydon: wife, mother, friend, mentor and director of corporate services for Wolverhampton Homes.

My work role sees the leadership of around 700 employees, with a focus on redesign and delivery of services, customer first, driving digital and customer voice.

I have over 25 years experience across a number of disciplines, including the housing sector, and have worked my way up from frontline services to senior management.

I have a passion for social housing and the difference it can make to people's lives – 15 minutes of our time, effort, and support can make a lifetime of difference to our customers.

Having grown up in social housing, in a deprived area of the West Midlands, my parents struggled to make ends meet. They worked hard to provide a decent, safe, and secure home for myself and my four siblings, while facing many challenges, such as poor quality housing, anti-social behaviour, stigma, and discrimination. I have seen first-hand how housing can affect people's health, wellbeing, education, and life opportunities, and how housing provision can be a source of pride, community, and empowerment.

I chose to pursue a career in housing to be able to give something back and make a positive impact on people and places. I joined the Chartered Institute of Housing and have been an active and committed member ever since, completing several CIH qualifications along the way. I’m currently studying for my level 5 qualification in Housing Studies. I have also been involved in various CIH networks and events, such as the Women in Housing Awards and the Housing Conferences.

Why I am standing? I have the skills, experience, and vision to lead the institute and the profession during the currently challenging times and future uncertain times. It is important to be able to deliver results, drive change, and inspire others, and I have an accomplished and proven record of doing so.

In standing for the position of vice president of CIH it will be my aim to make a difference, not only to the institute and its members, but for the wider society and the people we serve. Championing the role with a focus on the value of housing professionals, I want to promote the excellence and diversity of the housing sector, to ensure there is understanding and inclusion at every level. It is important to me, personally, to advocate for the rights and needs of the people who live in our homes, who can often be marginalised and disadvantaged.

How can you support me? It is important to me to share my passion, vision, and ambition for CIH and the housing sector. I hope that this manifesto provides you with assurance that I can be trusted to represent the institute and profession. If so, please vote for me to become the next vice president of CIH.

Building a Better Future with Social Housing

I'm delighted about the possibility of becoming the role of vice president at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). After running as a candidate last year, I decided to try again this year. I believe it's crucial to continue pursuing my dreams also to serve as an inspiration for women like me, encouraging them to persist in their endeavours and pursue their aspirations without hesitation.

I got married in 1993 and shortly after I arrived in UK from a small village in India. I could hardly speak any English. Over the course of nearly three decades, with intense hard work, resilience, and focus, I climbed the ranks from a front-line worker all the way up to managing director and chair in the social housing sector.

My reputation is built on unwavering optimism and personal determination. Rather than avoiding difficult challenges, I confront them head-on with effective leadership, initiative, energy, and enthusiasm.

As a social housing consultant, mentor, and coach, I currently dedicate myself to helping organisations and individuals overcome challenges. Additionally, I serve as Chair of Eldon Housing Association and Women in Social Housing (WISH) London.

I've had the privilege of speaking at several conferences. Recently I've been working with universities, to promote awareness of career opportunities in housing including London Metropolitan University, where I studied my MBA.

I’m committed to continuous learning and professionalism; I am a Chartered Member of CIH and currently preparing for my Fellowship application.

I will focus on uplifting stories, highlighting instances of innovative practices, creativity, and community engagement. I aim to spotlight the commendable efforts of our social housing sector, enhancing its reputation, and fostering confidence.

I will collaborate with staff, media, and other stakeholders to ensure CIH actively influences the national agenda. Through my presidential campaign, I aim to accomplish the following goals:

• Raise the profile for social housing. Influence the policy makers to ensure social housing becomes a priority in national and local agenda.
• Increase the diversity in board and senior leadership positions
• Present housing as a desirable career for young people
• Raise the profile of CIH and increase the uptake of the memberships and promote professional standards.

Please vote for me to raise the profile of the social housing sector and demonstrate that with determination, hard work, and authenticity, anything is possible. I also aspire to serve as a role model for other black and ethnic minority staff in the sector.

I, like most housing professionals, did not always have a housing career in mind as I left education, but I feel blessed to have 'fallen' into this wonderful sector.

While working for one of the largest HAs in the north of England I progressed from a frontline role to a head of service position, and then returned to my hometown to wrestle with a new challenge working for a stock-retaining local authority. My breadth of experience means I understand the unique challenges faced by housing professionals working in both types of organisations. This experience, and understanding, would enable me to be an effective CIH vice president at a time when the new competence and conduct standard is a catalyst for first time CIH engagement for many housing professionals up and down the land.

I have always valued the qualifications and professional accreditation delivered by CIH, securing my level 4 and chartership with the support of the GEM programme. I’m currently undertaking my level 5 diploma. I also have tutored graduates towards their level 4 qualifications and taught a social housing qualification to sixth form students.

As CIH VP, and part of the governing board, I would aim to ensure that housing providers have easy information on availability of apprenticeship providers who can deliver the required qualifications. Ensuring organisations can make use of their apprenticeship levy pot (or whatever training arrangements exist post-election) to limit the financial implications of the regulatory changes and create a fully developed professional development pipeline to create the housing leaders of the future.

Aside from that, I believe CIH should be shouting about the benefit of homes for social rent from the rooftops.

Whilst there is political acknowledgement across the spectrum of the need to build new homes, I am a strong believer that the only way to solve the housing crisis is building social homes (to rent at social rent levels) en-masse or the creation of a government supported mechanism to buy private rented homes to convert into social rents coupled with an end to RTB.

It has been a difficult few years as a housing professional with what feels like a constant barrage of negative headlines in challenging times. It is important that we acknowledge the issues and strive to deliver better services for residents.

As CIH VP, I would want to make sure that CIH were strong in making the case that social housing is the answer to the housing crisis. We can be far more combative in explaining the problematic way in which the PRS drives the housing crisis, both in its limitless rent rises and lack of security of tenure and the lack of 'decency'. The proliferation of private landlordism is the underlying force driving the lack of affordability in all tenures and it is vital that politicians reign it in by finally getting an effective Renters Reform Bill to Royal Assent.

It is great to see these sentiments expressed in CIH’s ten-point plan and it is a plan I would relish being an advocate for as vice president. I think it is also important for CIH to emphasise the wider negative impacts of never-ending house price/rent growth and its creation of a stagnant rentier economy. There is a need to look at how increases in capital gains taxes could be used to slowly deflate the housing market to return us to something that supports a functioning healthy society.

I would be honoured to be elected as CIH’s vice president and would give my all to represent fellow housing professionals from across the land.