CIH celebrates OBE honour for vice chair Aileen Evans

CIH’s vice chair of the board, Aileen Evans, has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List, published on Saturday 13 June. 

Aileen has been awarded an OBE for services to social housing, and it’s not hard to see why. A past CIH president and former chief executive of Grand Union Housing Group, Aileen has enjoyed a distinguished career in housing. She is currently vice chair of CIH’s governing board, chair of CIH’s Governance, Ethics and Remuneration Committee and serves on the boards of both Curo and Churches Housing Association. Throughout her career she has remained passionately committed to championing social housing and supporting housing professionals.

CIH chief executive, Gavin Smart congratulated Aileen on the honour, saying: “We are delighted to see Aileen Evans OBE recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list. It’s wonderful recognition of everything that Aileen has done across her career.

“Aileen’s drive, dedication and passion in ensuring everyone has a decent home is clear to see and her work has helped to bring that vision to reality for many, many people. Aileen hasn't only focussed on the importance of affordable homes, but in supporting the organisations and the sector that provides them, and she has consistently raised the profile and importance of mental health and wellbeing of the housing sector and been a visible and powerful advocate for the housing profession.

“On behalf of everyone at CIH I’d like to send Aileen our deepest congratulations and say how proud we are have to have Aileen as a past president and the vice chair of our governing board.”

Aileen has been a CIH member for more than 30 years, since being her housing career at Nottingham City Council. A passionate advocate for social housing, Aileen is a co-founder of SHOUT, the national campaign for social housing. Created at a time when the tenure was criticised – SHOUT made the moral, financial and political case for genuinely affordable homes.

In 2000 as CIH president, Aileen’s Shine a Light campaign highlighted the importance mental health for housing professionals, making space for honest conversations about wellbeing in the housing sector, raising a considerable amount of money for Mind.

Speaking about her honour, Aileen said: “I was overwhelmed when I received a letter telling me I had been nominated for this honour. I was genuinely surprised, deeply grateful and, to be honest, it hasn’t properly sunk in yet! 

“I have been privileged to work in housing for many, many years and I want to pay tribute to everyone person in the sector who works hard to make sure that everyone has a place to call home. This means homes that are safe, healthy and genuinely affordable.”