As a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, you’re part of a vibrant, inclusive and active community of housing professionals. We want to see our members lead, grow and make a lasting impact for the benefit of society and the people we serve.
This section is intended to explain:
Our status
CIH is a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation with education at the core of our charitable status. This means that the money we make is put back into the organisation and funds the activities we carry out to support the housing sector. We currently represent 18,000 members globally.
As a registered charity, we must comply with the requirements of the law relating to charities. Our activities are regulated by the Charity Commissioners in England and Wales, and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator in Scotland.
We were granted a Royal Charter in 1984, and our Charter and Byelaws determine the governance arrangements for our organisation, specifying the activities we can engage in and how those activities are regulated. Compliance is overseen by the Privy Council.
Our charitable objects and powers
CIH is the professional body for people who work in housing, the independent voice for housing and the home of professional standards. We champion the modern housing professional and work to equip them with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need.
The objects of the Institute shall be to promote the science and art of housing, its standards and ideals, and the training and education of those engaged in the Profession of Housing Practice.
- To provide a central organisation for those engaged in the Profession of Housing Practice and to promote the said profession in all or any of its branches and to encourage by means of information, advice and publicity bodies and persons responsible for the administration of housing estates and property and the general public to secure the management of such estates and property by properly trained and qualified housing practitioners and generally to foster the improvement of housing in all its aspects.
- To provide opportunities for the acquisition and dissemination of technical information by and among members of the said profession with a view of improving standards of efficiency and in particular by the provision of a library, the arrangement of lectures, meetings, conferences and discussions, the organisation of study tours, the interchange of information and opinion, the encouragement and endowment of research and by the publication, purchase, sale, hire and distribution of books, papers, reports and other communications, by training and knowledge management (including electronic- and distance-learning) and by any other means.
- To select train and test by examination and to grant certificates and diplomas and to award prizes to persons desirous of entering the said profession or obtaining advancement therein and to award scholarships and bursaries to such persons, provided that any certificate or diploma issued by the Institute shall contain on its face a statement to the effect that it is not granted by or on the authority of any Department of Our Government or other authority unless in fact it is so granted.
How do we achieve our charitable objects?
We achieve these charitable objects in three key ways:
- Membership: we enable housing professionals across the sector to gain recognition for their commitment to professionalism and support them to be part of a global community.
- Education: we provide everyone involved in housing with the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to be the best professional they can be through our training and qualifications.
- Sector events: we create opportunities to learn with inspiring and challenging speakers from housing and beyond, to build networks with colleagues, solve problems and scan the horizon.
Our goals
The way we aim to position ourselves within the housing sector and support those working in it is set out in our 2024-27 Corporate Plan. This can be found in your Volunteer Pack.
Our goals for this period are to:
- Be the recognised first choice professional body for housing professionals
- Provide relevant, current professional development for a recognised and valued housing profession and career of choice
- Be the leading voice for the housing profession across the UK
- Be a successful, sustainable and well-respected organisation.
For more detail about each of these goals, please read our Corporate Plan.
EDI commitment
At the heart of being a housing professional is meeting the needs of those we serve. To do this, we need to understand the full breadth of need, as well as life experience within these communities.
At CIH, we are committed to promoting a variety of cultures and diversity across the housing sector. We are actively committed to embedding a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion, and eliminating any discrimination. We'll continually consider everything that we do to ensure that all aspects of our work are inclusive.
CIH has agreed a set of objectives and commitments that reflect our strategy for embedding an equal, diverse and inclusive culture in the organisation. The aim is for our organisation to be truly representative of all sections of society and the communities in which we operate, and for our colleagues, volunteers and other stakeholders to feel respected and valued.
As CIH volunteers, it’s so important for you to understand the commitments that we have made to EDI. Please read the CIH Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy in your Volunteer Pack.
For more detail on communicating inclusively as a representative of CIH, head to our section on Equality, diversity and inclusion in the Communications section of the handbook.
