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Behind Every Home
Housing professionals work alongside people and communities to address some of life's most complex challenges. Every day, they use their expertise, judgement and compassion to help people access good housing, build stability and create thriving communities. Through their professionalism, expertise and values, housing professionals make a difference that extends far beyond bricks and mortar.
Behind Every Home is the CIH presidential campaign by Evie Copland. It showcases the real impact of housing professionals – using storytelling to challenge perceptions, strengthen professional identity, and celebrate the people working every day to improve lives and communities.
Putting the personal in professional
Housing professionals are much more than service providers. Every day, they use their expertise, judgement and commitment to make a positive difference in people's lives and communities.
From preventing homelessness and improving homes to strengthening neighbourhoods and creating opportunities, housing professionals help make better lives possible. Their impact is felt far beyond bricks and mortar, shaping the places where people live, work and thrive.
Few professions have the opportunity to change lives as profoundly as housing. Every day, housing professionals make a real difference to individuals, families and communities across the UK and Ireland.
A shared commitment to professionalism, values and social purpose connects housing professionals across every role. What defines the profession is not only what we do, but how we do it – with integrity, compassion and expertise.
Through Behind Every Home, Evie will shine a spotlight on the people behind the profession, sharing stories that celebrate the skill, dedication and impact of housing professionals. Together, these stories will show how putting the personal in professional helps transform lives, strengthen communities and create lasting social value.
Raising visibility and awareness
Through Behind Every Home, Evie wants to strengthen understanding of the housing profession and shine a spotlight on the people who make a difference every day. By sharing stories from across the UK and Ireland, the campaign will showcase the expertise, values and impact that define housing professionals and the vital role they play in communities.
Together with members, Evie will:
- Highlight the diversity, professionalism and impact of careers in housing
- Showcase the professionalism, values, skills and expertise that underpin excellent housing services
- Strengthen professional pride, confidence and a shared sense of identity
- Create opportunities to listen to and learn from members
- Demonstrate the positive difference housing professionals make to people and communities.
At its heart, Behind Every Home is about making the invisible visible. By sharing the stories of housing professionals across the UK and Ireland, it will help people better understand the skills, professionalism and human impact behind housing services while celebrating the individuals who make that impact possible.
Get involved
Behind Every Home is about every housing professional and belongs to everyone who works in housing. Every story, conversation and act of advocacy helps raise the profile of housing and demonstrate the difference people behind the profession make every day.
Whether you are just starting your career or have decades of experience, there are lots of ways to get involved:
Tell us about the impact you’ve made and the experiences that have shaped your career: This Is What a Housing Professional Looks Like.
We'll be sharing stories from across the UK and Ireland, including:
- Day in the Life features
- Short videos and written case studies
- Spotlights on different roles, organisations, places and career journeys.
Together, these stories will create a lasting record of the people, places and moments that define the housing profession.
Listen, learn, connect and contribute to the conversation.
Throughout the campaign there will be opportunities to hear members' experiences, learn from one another, make connections and shape the conversation about careers in housing. The events will include:
- Member listening sessions alongside key events
- Visits to organisations and communities
- Informal opportunities for feedback, mentoring and peer learning.
Visit our events listings to find upcoming opportunities to get involved.
Champion your role in housing, showcasing the value and impact of a career in housing and help inspire the next generation of professionals.
Help us champion the profession and showcase the value of a career in housing by:
- Sharing the campaign across your networks
- Highlighting colleagues and teams making a difference
- Encouraging conversations about professionalism in housing
- Showcasing the positive impact your organisation has on people and communities
- Promoting the positive impact a career in housing can have.
Recognise people who exemplify professionalism, leadership and CIH values.
Housing professionals bring CIH values to life every day.
Professionalism isn't just about qualifications – it's about how people show up for their colleagues, their organisations and the people they serve.
It's showing the integrity to do the right thing for the right reasons, the leadership to keep moving things forward while being open to new ideas, the knowledge and skill to support residents and communities and keep services running well.
Help us recognise the colleagues who work by these values:
- Share a post on LinkedIn about a colleague who exemplifies CIH's values. Use the hashtag #BehindEveryHome and tag both your colleague and CIH – we want to hear all about their work.
- Nominate them for recognition through the campaign – email press@cih.org with an example of their work, explaining how they showed professionalism and embodied CIH’s values, and why you think they deserve recognition.
Together we can build pride in our profession, challenge perceptions and shine a spotlight on the people behind every home.
Make a difference
Social Bite
Ending homelessness is a shared ambition across the housing profession. That’s why Evie has chosen Social Bite as her presidential charity. During Evie’s presidential year she’ll be raising funds and awareness of Social Bite, a charity and social enterprise dedicated to ending homelessness in the UK, supporting people experiencing homelessness to access food, homes and jobs.
You can find out more and support Evie’s fundraising here.
Donate your time to make a difference
Throughout her presidency, Evie will volunteer her time to make a difference in the local community at each of CIH’s events.
Keep an eye on your regional group for more information about what is happening in your area.
A Festival of Kindness
Watch this space - more information coming soon.
