To celebrate International Women’s Day, we asked Julie Evans, Curo’s Executive Director of Property Services, what it’s like to be a female leader in housing.
What made you embark on a career in housing?
It was never my ambition to work in housing, simply because I never thought of it as a career. I was in my second year studying English Literature at Swansea University when, by chance, I went to a talk given by the local council’s head of housing. I thought, “This is a way I can make a difference.” Thirty-five years later, I’m still working in the sector.
I think I was attracted to it because I’d lived in a council house in Cardiff as a child. So I instinctively knew that stable, good-quality homes are the foundation of thriving communities.
A family friend worked in housing and her husband was a manager at a housing association in Chelsea and Kensington in London. I did some job shadowing with him while still at uni and instantly loved it.
What was your first role?
After I left college I became a trainee housing manager at Newport Borough Council. I got experience of the different services, working in lettings and the housing advice centre. At the same time, I studied for a post-graduate Diploma in Housing Studies, which covered the history of housing.
The work was so varied – you never knew what you’d be dealing with. There was the lovely stuff like giving people the keys to their first home, or helping older people move into homes that better met their needs. Then there were the more challenging things, like dealing with rent arrears. But I found helping people to work through their problems very satisfying.
The work fulfilled my passion for helping to change people’s lives. For example, it was great to be able to provide survivors of domestic abuse with a springboard to move on with their lives.
What have been the biggest achievements of your career?
When I worked at Cardiff Community Housing Association, I got the local authority to sign up to a city-wide disabled register. This meant that, rather than having to wait on a general housing list, anyone who was disabled could be matched with properties that suited their needs as soon as they came up. If someone needed a stairlift, we could match them with a home that had one.
At Curo, I’m proud of Passport to Housing, which prepares residents for their tenancies. We had lots of back and forth with the council as they thought the scheme meant we would cherry-pick people for tenancies. We did a pilot and used the data to convince them otherwise. They could see that, far from stopping people getting a home, the scheme was helping residents to succeed with their tenancies for the long term.
Can you describe a moment in your career when you faced a barrier because you are a woman?
It might be surprising to say, but I’ve never personally faced one because I’m a woman. Perhaps the housing sector is more egalitarian than others. But I would like to address the lack of women in trades roles. Out of around 100 trades colleagues at Curo, only four are women.
Only eight of the top 25 housing associations in the UK are headed by women. Why is that and how can we change it?
We have to look at the way housing associations are governed. In the past there’s been a predominance of white, middle-aged men on boards. This is changing but a certain amount of catching up must be done.
I also think it’s true that woman look at a job advert and think, “I can only do six out of 10 of those things – I won’t apply.” Whereas a man will think, “I can do three – I’ll go for it.”
Women can suffer from imposter syndrome. When I joined Curo 17 years ago, it was my first director role. I felt like I was putting on my ‘director’s cloak’ and that I had to be someone else. But with maturity you get to the point where the fear goes away. You get more wins under your belt and gain more confidence as you get older. And I’ve always been open to feedback, good and bad, so that I can grow.
In 2019, I became an Executive Director at Curo, joining a small team alongside three very confident men. Women are brought up to be polite. It’s our social conditioning. But in a leadership team, if you waited to be asked to speak, you’d be waiting a long time. I’m lucky, however, that the team are all welcoming, accepting and live Curo’s values of caring, respectful, open, fair and trusting.
Which women inspire you?
The courage of the Suffragettes is inspiring. As a small group of women, they were willing to give up their lives so that women could vote. Voting is a priceless gift which we should never take for granted.
I also hugely admire Rosa Parks, the Black woman who refused to give up her bus seat for a white passenger in 1950s Alabama. She was determined to stand up against injustice. Her brave actions paved the way for huge changes in the civil rights of Black people in the US.
My favourite female political figure is Betty Boothroyd. She was the first and only female speaker of the House of Commons – and one of the best. Politicians across the spectrum respected her.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
I always come back to a quote by Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Whether you’re working in trades, development or customer accounts, always treat the customer as an individual, not a number, not bricks and mortar. You could change their life.
What tips would you give to women starting out in their housing careers?
Aspire to be the best you can be. Break through the glass ceiling. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t – you can.