Housing sector calls for recognised professional standards to improve services for tenants and communities
First national study finds strong support for mandatory qualifications, clearer career pathways and greater investment in housing professionals as Ireland faces growing housing challenges.
2 July 2026 | đŸ“§Â editor@ipropertyradio.com
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Ireland has published the first national report examining professionalism across Ireland’s housing sector, calling for a major overhaul of how housing professionals are trained, recognised and supported.
The report, Elevating Excellence: The State of Housing Professionalism in Ireland, argues that strengthening professional standards is not simply an employment issue but one that directly affects the quality of housing services delivered to tenants, communities and those seeking housing support.
Housing professionals working across local authorities, approved housing bodies (AHBs), government agencies and the private sector are responsible for delivering social housing, preventing homelessness, managing tenancies, maintaining housing stock, supporting vulnerable households and engaging with communities. However, the report concludes that the profession has never developed the same recognised qualifications, career pathways or professional identity enjoyed by disciplines such as architecture, planning or engineering.
The findings are based on a national survey conducted between October and December 2025, which received 65 responses from housing professionals across the sector. While respondents described a workforce driven by social purpose and committed to tenant wellbeing, the research also identified significant inconsistencies in professional standards, qualifications and career development opportunities.
One of the most striking findings is that more than half of respondents said there is no clear or shared definition of professionalism across Ireland’s housing sector. Without common standards, the report warns that organisations can develop different expectations around staff training, conduct and service delivery, potentially leading to inconsistent experiences for tenants.
Despite this, respondents demonstrated broad agreement on the values they believe should underpin housing services. Excellence in service delivery, valuing tenant voices, accountability and transparency were identified as the most important characteristics of professional housing practice. The report notes that these priorities reflect a sector committed to fairness, integrity and high-quality services for residents.
The research also found variation in organisational governance. Nearly 62% of organisations surveyed have a formal code of conduct for housing staff, while around one quarter do not and a further 12.7% are currently developing one. Professional development is generally available at least once a year, although 10.8% of respondents reported that they rarely or never receive opportunities for continuing professional development.
There was particularly strong backing for introducing formal qualifications for senior housing professionals. Three quarters of respondents supported mandatory housing qualifications, believing they would strengthen accountability, improve professional standards, enhance public confidence and create clearer career pathways for future housing professionals.
The report identifies several factors preventing housing from being viewed as an attractive long-term career. These include recruitment and retention challenges, limited professional pathways and a lack of recognition of housing as a professional discipline. CIH Ireland warns that unless these issues are addressed, the sector may struggle to attract the skilled workforce needed to respond to Ireland’s increasingly complex housing needs.
To address these challenges, CIH Ireland has proposed five strategic actions. These include developing a professional qualifications framework, encouraging housing providers to adopt CIH professional standards, promoting housing careers to students and graduates, recognising tenant engagement as a core professional competency and establishing a national professionalism initiative led by CIH Ireland.
CIH Ireland Board Chair Kathleen Cottier described the report as the starting point for creating a more clearly defined and recognised profession supported by structured career pathways, professional standards, leadership and investment in people. She said the research provides an evidence base for reform and a mandate to work with partners across the housing sector to deliver change.
CIH Ireland Director Caroline Moloney said the report highlights both the commitment and professionalism already demonstrated across Ireland’s housing workforce while honestly identifying the gaps that remain. She said the findings represent an important milestone for the sector and provide a roadmap for strengthening professionalism in support of tenants and communities.
Responding to the report, Technological University Dublin Senior Lecturer Dr Lorcan Sirr said the research demonstrates that housing continues to be overlooked as a recognised professional career, particularly within the public sector. He said a structured qualifications framework, similar to those already established for architects, planners and engineers, would strengthen career development while encouraging more people to pursue housing as a profession.
For consumers and communities, the report’s recommendations could have wider implications beyond the housing workforce itself. More consistent professional standards, stronger qualifications and improved training could help ensure tenants receive more reliable services, better communication, stronger tenant engagement and greater accountability from organisations responsible for delivering and managing housing across Ireland.
The report also comes at a time when Ireland continues to face significant housing supply pressures, increasing demand for social housing and homelessness services, and growing expectations around tenant engagement, building safety and climate resilience. CIH Ireland argues that building a recognised, skilled and resilient housing profession will be essential to meeting these long-term challenges.
