Housing Management Matters campaign teams up with Manchester landlords for recruitment drive

The newly launched Housing Management Matters campaign will promote and accelerate the 20% Movement, an initiative launched by the Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMPH) last year. 

Announced by the 26 chief executives of the GMPH in December, the movement aims to increase employment opportunities for people who live in their homes. 

Under the initiative, all housing associations in the GMPH have pledged that 20% of their staff will be from a social renting household by 2034. 

Our Housing Management Matters campaign will help to promote the 20% Movement, sharing case studies of residents who have been hired through the initiative and the different methods that the Manchester housing providers are using to achieve the employment uplift. 

Housing Management Matters will also explore the possibility of the 20% Movement being rolled out more widely across the UK, boosting housing management recruitment and widening representation by attracting more candidates from the communities they are based in. 

According to housing association Great Places Housing Group, many landlords do not currently measure what proportion of their staff are from a social renting household. Organisations that do track this have reported figures of between 7% and 8%.

Boosting recruitment into housing management is one of the three main aims of the Housing Management Matters campaign, alongside recognising the vital work that housing management staff do and publicising it to MPs and the wider public.

The 26 chief executives of the GMPH are all backing the Housing Management Matters campaign. 

Charlie Norman, chair of the GMPH and chief executive of Mosscare St Vincent’s, said: “As a long-standing coalition of the willing, GM Housing Providers has been working together for the last 12 years to do more together at scale.  

“We have worked together on a number of impactful projects over the years, and we are really excited to be working on this latest long-term movement for  change, alongside the Housing Management Matters campaign.  

“The 20% Movement sprang from discussions during the pandemic about opportunities for young people and future generations who would likely be affected by lockdowns. A fantastic group of residents, colleagues and community reps has driven the idea forward.  

“As major local employers, our aspiration is to nurture talent and open up further career opportunities for people in the communities we serve.

“There is so much synergy with the Housing Management Matters Campaign and it’s great to mutually support each other.”

On 18 June, we launched our Housing Management Matters campaign to spotlight the vital work of resident-facing staff. Find out more about the campaign here.

Find out more about the 20% Movement here.