In our latest podcast, Piers Williamson, Chair of Sustainability for Housing, is joined by Grainia Long, the outgoing Chief Executive at Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), the strategic housing authority and one of Europe’s largest social landlords.

During this episode, Piers and Grainia explore incremental progress and long term sustainability goals, differences between Northern Ireland’s and Great Britain’s approach to sustainability, the growing importance of climate resilience, tenant-led sustainability initiatives and professional skill development in the sector.

Below are some of the key takeaways…

Incremental progress vs long term sustainability goals

When questioned on how Grainia’s experience has shaped her leadership and how NIHE shapes the sustainability approach of Northern Ireland’s social housing sector, Grainia said: “We can tend to overestimate what we’re going to achieve in the short term, but underestimate what we’re going to achieve in the long term.”

Grainia explained that these sustainability efforts have been achieved through steady increments, which have built up over the last five years, and have had a significant impact on the region’s sector and its communities.

In regard to NIHE’s sustainability approach, Grainia described the team’s tendency to discuss the effects of climate change in the same way they would about mental health or poverty – that it is crucial to people’s health and wellbeing.   

Differences between Northern Ireland’s and Great Britain’s approach to sustainability

Grainia noted that the size of Northern Ireland makes it easier to come up with solutions to sector problems. Unlike Great Britain, she explained, “[Northern Ireland] is perfectly scaled to solve really big problems…you can draw a line around a problem.”

Grainia also praised the single housing authority and strong localism within Northern Ireland. Having a centralised housing organisation, like NIHE, means decisions and changes, which are evidence-led and data-driven, can be made faster.

Despite these positives, Grainia highlighted that funds that should be allocated to decarbonise social housing in the region go into the general Northern Ireland budget, which is a missed opportunity.

Climate resilience is due its moment

Referencing her time as a Commissioner for Resilience, Grainia described the effects of climate change, including flood risks and extreme heat, on cities around the world like Paris and London.

Grainia said: “From a housing point of view, there is no question that climate resilience has got to be an absolute priority.” She explained that providers must start weaving climate resilience into their investment programmes and use resident voice to inform the strategy.  

Describing NIHE’s tenant-led climate adaptation plan, she commented: “Use the knowledge that you have, our greatest asset is our tenants. They know how their spaces and places change over the course of the year.”

Tenant engagement and tenant-led sustainability initiatives

Outlining how NIHE engages with tenants, Grainia mentioned its longstanding resident networks, she said: “We have a housing community network made up of 500 different resident groups. They are empowered to collect, to come together and to focus on the issues that affect their local community.”

Although some may underestimate residents’ knowledge on sustainability, Grainia highlighted the vital insight they have. She urges organisations to co-design sustainability initiatives with tenants, rather than impose them.

Vocational and professional skills development in the sector

Grainia discussed NIHE’s success in attracting new professionals and modernising the skillset within the organisation. She commented: “We also have seen a doubling of applications to the organisation, and that’s in a very, very competitive market… people want to come to housing.”

Additionally, Grainia highlighted that the best way to bring talent into the sector is through apprenticeship programmes with social value requirements. Despite the success, she believed there is more work that needs to be done to align the future skillset needed in the sector with higher education.

You can view the podcast here.