Housing Officer - Rough Sleeping Initiative

Are you passionate about making a real difference to people’s lives?
We’re looking for a committed Specialist Housing Officer to manage dedicated accommodation for former rough sleepers, supporting individuals with complex needs to sustain safe and secure housing.

In this rewarding role, you’ll be responsible for tenancy and property management across our specialist Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) units. You’ll work closely with colleagues across Housing Options, Housing Register and Lettings, Housing Strategy, Adult and Children’s Social Care, and a range of support providers to help vulnerable clients rebuild their lives and move forward towards long-term housing solutions.

If you're practical, empathetic, and ready to make a difference every day, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing:
✔ Managing tenancy and licence agreements for rough sleeper accommodation
✔ Ensuring properties are safe, compliant, and maintained to a high standard
✔ Supporting tenancy sustainment and promoting independent living skills
✔ Liaising closely with support services, social care teams, and partner agencies to wrap support around residents
✔ Managing tenancy breaches, safeguarding concerns, and property-related risks appropriately
✔ Facilitating timely move-ins and move-ons, working with Housing Options and the Rough Sleeper Project Group
✔ Contributing to service improvement by helping shape policies, procedures, and system processes

What we’re looking for:

Experience in housing management, homelessness services, or working with rough sleepers would be helpful, but if you have the right attitude, empathy, and a commitment to learning, we will support you to build the skills needed.

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We: 

• provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents 
• work in partnership to make a real difference 
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities 
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive 

You will: 

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset 
• have access to a range of benefits and support 
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression 

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve. 

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application. 

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. 

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us. 

Find out more about how to apply.