CIH Ireland calls for strategic reforms to professionalise the housing sector

The Chartered Institute of Housing Ireland (CIH Ireland) has published a new report calling for the implementation of five strategic actions to support and strengthen the domestic housing profession.

The report, titled *Elevating Excellence: The State of Housing Professionalism in Ireland*, highlights key barriers that prevent housing from being recognized as a career of choice. These obstacles include recruitment pressures, sector perception challenges, and limited structured professional pathways. Additionally, more than half of the survey respondents indicated that there is currently no clear or shared definition of professionalism across the housing sector.

Proposed Strategic Actions

To address these challenges, CIH Ireland has outlined five specific recommendations:

• Establishing a professional qualifications framework
• Encouraging the adoption of CIH professional standards
• Promoting housing as a viable career path
• Strengthening skills related to tenant engagement
• Launching a national professionalism initiative

The report also notes strong sector backing for reform, with three-quarters of respondents supporting the introduction of mandatory housing qualifications.