Investment boosts housing jobs in London
Chris Patel, manager of Hays Social Housing, provides an insight into the current market for social housing jobs in London.
Given that there are so many large Housing Associations in London, some of which employ over 1,000 staff, there are vast numbers of social housing professionals currently working in the Capital. Recently, there have been a number of acquisitions and mergers which have meant that the employee pool has been restructured and redeployed, with some being made redundant while other jobs in social housing have become available on the market in waves.
In particular, the Decent Homes programme has been positive for workers. Most social landlords in London are now on target for the 2010 Decent Homes deadline, with only around 5% negotiating to set dates for delivery beyond this time.
Highlighting the progress that has been made, London’s housing stock was generally in a poorer condition than housing in the country as a whole and a condition survey carried out in 2001 deemed that over 1 million dwellings did not meet the Decent Homes Standard. The programme has resulted in an increased requirement for freelance workers, such as stock condition surveyors, and an increased resource allocation for planned and cyclical maintenance.
Boosting social housing career prospects
In line with the Decent Homes initiative, there has been significant stock transfer activity in London both with RSLs taking on property as a result of LSVT and also the inception of ALMOs. The advent of ALMOs has meant a far more structured and focused approach to the delivery of Decent Homes and housing services under the umbrella of the council, resulting in a more comprehensive staffing structure and more progressive social housing career prospects for individuals.
Housing development professionals, such as those in project and development manager jobs, are in demand in London due to the continued growth of RSLs across the region. Professionals in Income recovery jobs are also highly sought after by employers. Most organisations have specific, separated and defined departments. This is due, increasingly, to a more commercial approach to this aspect of the business and they often employ individuals from a credit control background. In addition, employers are looking for a number of key skills.
In general, salaries are incrementally rising year on year. However, there are specific trends in specific areas across London. Salaries in Housing development jobs typically have risen the highest due to a shortage of candidates. For example, professionals who took up social housing jobs four years ago on c£40K will not unusually now be on over £55K. Salaries for maintenance surveyor jobs have remained stagnant at around £30K, which tends to not allow organisations to attract the calibre they may be seeking.
Investment injection for housing jobs in the UK
Many RSLs in London have aggressive and robust growth programmes with bids and funding continuing. This means that the development departments are constantly growing with land acquisition and new build affordable housing planned. Where these units are not shared ownership or bought outright, there will be a need for further housing management services.
The line between the public and private sectors is slowly narrowing, with RSLs adopting a more commercial approach to their services. Targets and expectations of individuals within the industry are far more aspirational today compared to five years ago and this trend seems to be continuing. Investment in offices, staffing, training and development suggests that the housing industry is increasingly becoming more and more progressive.
For further information contact Chris Patel, Manager at Hays Social Housing, on 020 7630 6795 or visit www.hays.com/socialhousing.
