Holding Space in a Pressurised Sector

In housing, conversations around safety are rightly prioritised whether it’s building safety, fire compliance, or protecting residents. But there’s a quieter question that’s often overlooked: how are we holding the people who deliver these vital services?
 
 The sector has been through seismic shifts over the past few years. With new regulatory frameworks, rising demand, and increased scrutiny, many organisations have focused heavily on structure, governance, and delivery models. And while these are essential, we also need to pay attention to the human landscape the lived experience of those working across every level of our organisations.
 
 I’ve worked in housing for over 20 years, and in that time I’ve seen extraordinary commitment and resilience. But I’ve also seen the cost. From frontline staff absorbing daily trauma to managers juggling operational firefighting with leadership expectations, the emotional weight of the work is significant. Too often, people feel there’s no space to reflect, no time to pause, and little permission to say when it’s too much.
 
 Change is inevitable and necessary. But how we approach it matters. When change is constant and reactive, it can become overwhelming. When support mechanisms are unclear, or introduced without engagement, they risk creating more pressure rather than alleviating it.
 
 These pressures don’t exist in a vacuum. National policy changes, increasing compliance requirements, and fragmented systems create further complexity. Often, our internal capacity is stretched not just by what we’re delivering, but by the effort it takes to navigate the landscape around us.  
 
 In this environment, the risk is that people become deliverables not individuals. But systems don’t create culture. People do. And if we want that culture to be healthy and sustainable, we need to ensure our people are held, heard, and supported.
 
 This is where we have an opportunity. To think differently.
 
 To move away from short-term fixes and towards creating conditions where people can genuinely thrive not just survive. That means leadership that is trauma-aware, inclusive, and emotionally intelligent. It means realistic expectations and the space to ask, how are we doing this and is it working for the people delivering it?
 
 It also means building cultures of trust. Where wellbeing isn’t an initiative, but an integrated part of how we work. Where people feel seen, not just measured. And where psychological safety allows for learning, challenge, and growth.
 
 It’s a privilege to share these reflections here. Over the years, I’ve worked with Greenacre to bring talented people into teams I’ve led — and to find roles where I could grow and contribute in meaningful ways. The common thread has always been people. Their passion, their courage, their quiet tenacity.
 
 If we want meaningful, sustainable change, we must give our teams the trust, tools, and time to flourish.

Liz Oliver, trategic housing leader, executive coach, and founder of One True Path — a coaching and consultancy practice specialising in authentic leadership, neurodiversity, and wellbeing in high-stakes sectors.