The President of the Chartered Institute of Housing gave her address to a packed venue in London last night. Here is the speech in full
Full text of the speech given by Elly Hoult at the Brewery in London on 6 February:
”Good evening, everyone
It’s an honour to stand here tonight as your CIH President.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Elly Hoult, chief operating officer at Peabody.
Tonight, I want to take you on a journey—a personal one, a story about the extraordinary work you do, and a vision for the future we can create together.
Let me start with a little about my own beginnings, not because my story is unique, but because it might sound familiar to many of you.
I grew up in a council house.
By today’s measures, I was a child in poverty.
Our home was damp, cold, overcrowded and meant to be temporary, a relic of post-war Britain, but had endured for decades.
It had no central heating, no double glazing, and open fires to stay warm.
My parents worked tirelessly—my mum juggled three cleaning jobs, my dad an ambulance driver—but they struggled to make ends meet.
One memorable winter sticks with me—not just for the cold, but for the smell. When we couldn’t afford coal, we had to burn old shoes to keep warm.
Moments like that stick with you. They shape you. They remind you of what it feels like to just survive.
But one day, our lives changed. – excuse me if I struggle with the emotion here
One memorable winter sticks with me—not just for the cold, but for the smell. When we couldn’t afford coal, we had to burn old shoes to keep warm.
A housing association, who I ironically later went on to work for, stepped in.
Tore down our crumbling house and gave us a new one I’ll never forget the first time we walked into that new home.
It was warm. It was dry. It was safe.
For the first time, no damp walls, no icy draughts.
As we stood in the empty living room, my mother sat on the floor, overwhelmed.
She sat there and she cried. She sat there and she cried.
My mother wasn’t just crying because she was disappointed or sad…
She was crying because, for the first time, she could give her children a real home and a home she could be proud of.
That moment didn’t just change my family’s life.
Looking back, it gave me something else—a sense of purpose.
A deep understanding that housing is so much more than bricks and mortar.
It’s dignity. It’s safety. It’s a foundation for everything else.
That day planted a seed in me—a passion for housing that has driven me ever since.
Housing has the power to transform lives.
Housing is the reason I’ve dedicated 25 years of my life to this sector. (And I hope many more…)
But let’s be honest: the challenges we face today are immense.
Disrepair, homelessness, overcrowding, the affordability crisis, and skills shortages are just some of the hurdles before us.
And we all know this is one of the toughest times to work in housing. The pressure is intense.
But here’s the thing: every challenge is an opportunity.
I believe we can rise to this moment; we have the power to do so and the choice to do that is in our control.
Every year, we say it’s going to be a big year for housing – but in 2025, that statement has never been truer.
Six months into a new government who are committed to tackling the housing crisis, we have a real opportunity to drive positive change and deliver even more much needed safe, affordable homes.
For the first time in what feels like a long time, we have a government that is making all the right noises and listening….
But at its heart, what we do is about people and I truly believe in the transformative power of this sector—our sector.
You, the professionals in this room, change lives.
Six months into a new government who are committed to tackling the housing crisis, we have a real opportunity to drive positive change and deliver even more much needed safe, affordable homes
And its people—the impact that we have every day—is my focus tonight.
There’s a phrase we often hear in housing: “I fell into it.” I can see a few of you nodding.
Many of us, me included, share this sentiment.
But isn’t it time to rewrite that story?
Isn’t it time we made housing a deliberate, passionate choice?
Housing isn’t just a job; it’s a vocation, a calling. It’s a profession. A profession with social purpose at its core.
If we want to attract the best talent and retain it, we need to shout this from the rooftops.
Housing is a career that offers unparalleled opportunities to grow, lead, and make a difference.
That’s why my campaign, Choose Housing, is about showing the world what we already know: this sector welcomes everyone—no matter their background, experience, or qualifications—and helps them flourish.
This isn’t just theory. It’s my own story.
I came into housing as a school leaver at 16 with no clear path ahead.
Housing gave me the chance to work hard, learn, and grow.
Not only does housing provide people with a home, but also the foundation on which to build their lives.
We can also provide the opportunity for them to develop and grow their own career.
It gave me mentors who believed in me, colleagues who inspired me, and residents who remind me every day why this work matters.
And we need to emphasise the skills and expertise that our sector offers more widely. We need more people to hear and join us.
If we just take London as an example, currently, women represent only 14% of the construction workforce and ethnic minorities only make up approximately 24%.
If we’re going to build on the opportunities which the next four or so years present, with a government committed to boosting social housing and tackling issues, then we need more people to help us deliver.
We need to emphasise the skills and expertise that our sector offers more widely. We need more people to hear and join us.
But this campaign isn’t just about attracting people—it’s about supporting them to thrive.
Housing is dynamic, built on skills that are as diverse as the people in this room: technical expertise, people skills, leadership, adaptability, and resilience.
These are the hallmarks of our profession. They’re why people join us —and why they stay.
Housing is already a career of destination let’s now make it a career of choice too
That’s why CIH is so important.
CIH provide the tools, education, training and network to enable everyone to be the best professional they can be.
Across the UK and beyond, CIH advocates for housing, consistently making the case for a future in which everyone has a place to call home
It’s an honour to stand here as your CIH President and champion a sector that’s so full of potential.
Imagine this: there are 500 people in this room. If each of us inspired just five others to consider a career in housing, think about the impact we could have.
Tonight is also a call to action. This is not my campaign—it’s ours. It needs to last beyond my tenure.
It’s down to all of us to encourage people to choose housing as a career.
I need you to take this back into your organisations and do something to help. Share the message. Inspire others. Spark conversations.
We can shape the future of this sector.
Finally, I want to talk about the personal side of this campaign—supporting the most vulnerable.
That’s why I’ve chosen Barnardo’s as my charity focus.
In London, one in 23 children lives in temporary accommodation.
Across the UK, one in four children lives in poverty.
These numbers are staggering, but they’re not just statistics—they’re real children, real families.
Barnardo’s is doing incredible work to give these children a chance.
Tonight, you’ll hear from one of their ambassadors, and I urge you to dig deep and donate.
Point out card readers, QR code on the screen, in booklets.
As I reflect on my journey, I’m filled with pride—not just in my own story, but in the collective mission we share.
We’re not only building homes; we’re also building futures.
We’re not only solving problems; we’re also creating opportunities.
Let’s keep pushing. Let’s keep innovating. Let’s keep advocating for people to choose to work with us.
And let’s never forget why we do this work— for people like my Mum who sat on the floor and cried at the relief of having a real place to call home.
That colleagues is the power and impact you have in your job every single day.
To all of you here tonight: thank you.
Thank you for your passion, your dedication, and your belief in housing.
Thank you and enjoy the rest of your evening.”
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