HOUSING MANAGER SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB REQUIREMENTS

Published: Jul 14, 2025 - The Housing Manager possesses proven management experience in budgeting, financial reporting, administration, and staff supervision, with a strong track record in optimizing systems and service standards. This role requires knowledge of the Housing First model, the Residential Tenancies Act, the Housing Services Act, and Durham Region’s homelessness initiatives. The manager also has strong project management, communication, and team-building skills, along with a commitment to anti-oppression and community development principles.

Essential Hard and Soft Skills for a Standout Housing Manager Resume
  • Program Administration
  • Budget Monitoring
  • Policy Compliance
  • Legal Documentation
  • Contract Management
  • Property Inspection
  • Data Entry
  • Report Preparation
  • Intake Assessment
  • Maintenance Coordination
  • Team Leadership
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Conflict Mediation
  • Effective Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Community Collaboration
  • Staff Mentoring
  • Service Coordination
  • Relationship Building
  • Tenant Relations

Summary of Housing Manager Knowledge and Qualifications on Resume

1. BA in Hospitality Management with 4 years of Experience

  • Experience in the Development or Housing and Property Administration, or equivalent experience.
  • Familiar with Tseshaht cultural and spiritual beliefs and the living environments of Tseshaht Membership.
  • Work experience at an Administrator/Coordinator level with administering social programs, with experience specific to CMHC housing
  • Business-related office skills, including computer skills for maintaining budgets, client files, payment plans, and housing subsidies.
  • Extremely detail-oriented administrator who can work one-on-one with community members to review housing applications and tenancy situations.
  • Solid understanding related to administering First Nation Housing projects, budgets, tenancy arrangements, and reporting deadlines.
  • Excellent public relations, oral, and written communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
  • A positive, compassionate, and caring attitude with the ability to build trust quickly.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office - Word and Excel

2. BS in Business Administration with 6 years of Experience

  • Management-level experience in a relevant role, depending on the type of experience.
  • Knowledge in project coordination, event registration, hospitality, or corporate technology projects
  • Experience in managing events successfully from concept to execution with strong project management skills
  • Proven supervisory work experience
  • Strong critical thinking, organizational, and analytical capabilities
  • Strong verbal, written communication, and presentation skills
  • Ability to effectively prioritize workload on multiple projects and events simultaneously
  • Can successfully perform in a high-stress, fast-paced environment
  • An ability to accept changes with short notice and tolerate frequent interruptions
  • An ability to work cooperatively with other employees, vendors, and clients
  • Portrays professional presence through superior communication, presentation, promptness, and appearance
  • Strong attention to detail with the ability to see the big picture
  • Microsoft Office suite program experience (Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, etc.)

3. BS in Real Estate Management with 5 years of Experience

  • Experience managing housing properties, including program and project management, asset management and facilities management, and oversight.
  • Experience in working in private property management, community housing, or social housing
  • A professional housing/property management certification
  • Experience in supporting events successfully from concept to execution
  • Must show personal and professional integrity, and commitment to excellence and high standards
  • Self-directed and deadline-driven, with an ability to manage priorities and projects within a fast-paced, dynamic environment
  • Ability to work on complex projects with general direction and minimal guidance, both independently and as a member of cross-functional teams
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to maintain high levels of confidentiality
  • Experience in providing excellence in customer service
  • A positive approach to working in a team environment
  • Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures

4. BA in Sociology with 8 years of Experience

  • Management experience including budgeting, financial management, reporting, and administration
  • Experience in system optimization, service standards, quality assurance development, and implementation
  • An understanding of the Region of Durham’s Homelessness Coordinated Access System and Built for Zero Campaign
  • Practical knowledge of the housing sector best practices, the Housing First model, the Residential Tenancies Act, the Housing Services Act, and all other relevant legislation
  • Demonstrated understanding of the Durham Region Housing sector and issues being faced by the populations the company serves
  • A strong team player with the ability to work collaboratively or independently to achieve goals
  • Well-developed organizational, analytical, and decision-making skills
  • Superior interpersonal and communication skills, oral and written proficiency in English
  • Strong project management skills, including time management and problem-solving skills
  • Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
  • Understanding of community development principles and practices
  • Demonstrated success in coaching and mentoring staff to achieve team and organizational goals
  • Understanding of anti-oppression principles and approaches

5. BA in Public Administration with 7 years of Experience

  • Professional experience and/or qualifications that enhance your ability to support housing portfolio management (e.g., contract management, property and/or asset management, law, business)
  • Experience in complex contract management, including managing performance against agreed scopes and KPIs, and effective contractor relationship management.
  • Experience leading and managing individuals and/or a small team
  • Experience in financial management, including budgeting and forecasting
  • Well-developed written and oral communication skills, including an ability to communicate effectively to a broad range of audiences
  • Strong project management skills, including the ability to support the scoping, development, and implementation of projects within deadlines and in line with a budget
  • Have high personal integrity and the ability to relate to a diverse community
  • Be an independently driven, self-motivated worker
  • Be flexible and adaptable, and a willing contributor to collective team goals
  • Be highly organised and have strong analytical skills with attention to detail
  • Experience in establishing and maintaining relationships with a broad range of stakeholders
  • Be culturally competent and have experience working with Aboriginal people

6. BA in Social Work with 4 years of Experience

  • Relevant work experience within the social rented sector with responsibility for the delivery and development of front-line services and managing people.
  • A track record of continuous professional development - CIH Level 4
  • A detailed understanding of the types of problems facing the Social Housing Sector.
  • Knowledge of housing legislation, particularly relating to tenancy management
  • Experience working with tenants, external stakeholders, and managing staff.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • A commitment to continuous improvement of services.
  • Be able to socialize and build positive relationships with residents, both current and prospective.
  • Must have great organizational skills
  • Strong proficiency in computer skills.

7. BS in Facilities Management with 6 years of Experience

  • Management experience demonstrating effective leadership, performance management skills, and service user care, ideally gained in the Housing, Care and Support Sector
  • Experience in managing change within a team and organisation
  • Experience in developing policies, procedures, and systems
  • Possess a comprehensive knowledge of legal frameworks
  • Ability to manage work time well, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to endure and balance work fluctuations, deadlines, and interruptions
  • Ability to exercise good judgment, courtesy, and tact.
  • Ability to establish good rapport with people of diverse cultures and belief systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.
  • Must demonstrate sound judgment, professional boundaries, ethics, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
  • Must be able to work weekends and long hours during occasional peak work periods.

8. BA in Human Resources Management with 3 years of Experience

  • Strong administrative skills, including data entry, filing, answering phones, familiarity with legal aspects/fair housing laws, familiarity with company policies and procedures.
  • Solid analytical skills - ability to create and manage property budget, review and analyze current market conditions, analyze property reports (occupancy, accounting, traffic).
  • Able to communicate with all staff levels, residents, vendors, and prospective residents, correspond with all contacts via letters, memos, newsletters, and emails, and present material to staff.
  • Computer proficiency, such as Outlook, Excel, Word, Internet, and OneDrive.
  • Strong coordinating skills, including the ability to coordinate resident functions, staff meetings, and functions, the ability to prioritize and delegate tasks daily, the ability to handle emergency/unexpected situations, ability to set future goals.
  • Able to motivate and lead staff, providing them with the direction and training that is necessary for them to succeed, and able to solve resident and staff issues.
  • Be willing to pick up trash, clean, spread salt, shovel snow, as well as other general manual duties.
  • General knowledge of maintenance to act as a liaison between the maintenance staff and residents.
  • Strong mathematical skills - ability to calculate lease balances, move-in costs, pro-rations, special rates (i.e., pets, garages), late fees, bank deposits, discounts.
  • Confidentiality, customer service, decision-making, patience, respect, and teamwork.
  • Must hold HUD Certification

9. BS in Property Management with 9 years of Experience

  • Experience in housing and policy development, analysis, and management of diverse non-profit community housing programs, preferably for individuals with a serious and persistent mental illness or addiction, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
  • Knowledge of the principles of recovery in mental illness.
  • Comprehensive knowledge of housing principles, best practices, and trends in not-for-profit community settings, particularly related to mental health and/or addiction housing
  • Clear understanding of land acquisition, construction costing, and municipal by-laws related to zoning and development.
  • Can exercise diplomacy and persuasiveness when working with multi-disciplinary teams and individuals such as government representatives, stakeholders, and citizen groups to attain/progress with the program’s goals.
  • Strong interpersonal, public speaking, and written communication skills, and applies this expertise to a wide range of housing issues when communicating verbally and in print with a variety of people at all levels, both internal and external to the organization
  • Effective research skills and abilities to stay current with issues and trends in housing, in particular housing for individuals/groups with mental illness and addictions.
  • Effective time management and program management skills to ensure projects/ initiatives/goals are realized on time.
  • Broad knowledge and abilities in the use of the organization’s electronic systems, such as the internet and email, and software programs
  • Effective leadership skills in areas such as analyzing complex relationship situations, developing and implementing plans to resolve issues, utilizing facilitation and consensus building, and fostering collaborative working relationships.
Relevant Information
Housing Coordinator Skills, Experience, and Job Requirements