Meet our housing and property management leadership team

Our Leadership team is responsible for managing the delivery of Housing and Property Management services for Camden Council. These services sit within our Supporting Communities organisational branch.

Gillian Marston, Executive Director of Supporting Communities

As Executive Director of Supporting Communities, Gillian leads on creating the conditions for people in Camden to thrive in healthy, safe, and resilient communities. As well as Housing and Property services, the services within the Supporting Communities directorate focus on:

• creating a vibrant and inclusive economy
• ensuring our environment is clean and safe
• providing a range of leisure and recreational services
• our Community Investment Programme (CIP) including building and maintaining our homes and community assets in Camden
• refugee resettlement

Gillian provides executive leadership to these services and sits on the Council Management Team (CMT).

Housing Services

Glendine Shepherd, Director of Housing

Glendine has extensive experience working in Housing Services for over 25 years. As Director of Housing, Glendine works to ensure the provision of safe, affordable, and appropriate homes for residents. Glendine provides strategic leadership across housing services, working to:

• tackle and prevent homelessness
• allocate and manage council homes
• support and involve leaseholders
• ensure a sustainable Housing Revenue Account
• build safe and connected estates and neighbourhoods

Gerry Crowley, Head of Allocations, Lettings and Private Sector Housing

Gerry has worked at Camden since May 2023 and has over 22 years working across central and local government.

He is responsible for ensuring fair and transparent allocation of homes and temporary accommodation whilst prioritising those in the greatest need of housing. This role also oversees our private sector housing services, which work in partnership with landlords to ensure high-quality housing and protections for their tenants. He also plays an important role in tackling under occupancy, overcrowding and bringing empty homes across Camden back into use.

Maria Jacobs, Head of Neighbourhoods

Maria joined Camden in May 2023 following 30 years spent with various registered and charitable housing providers.

As Head of Neighbourhoods, Maria oversees delivery of tenancy and estate management services, including our caretaking and neighbourhood housing teams. She also is responsible for our sheltered housing provision.

Maria’s leadership is vital to ensuring our estates and neighbourhoods are places our residents are proud to call home through ensuring the delivery of high-quality services with a visible presence on our estates and within our blocks.

Sean Scott, Head of Housing Income and Leaseholder Services

Sean joined Camden in July 2023 and has over 26 years experience working in Housing across a number of organisations in London including Islington and Enfield Councils, Enfield Homes, Swan, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), Circle (now Clarion) and Clapton Community Housing Trust.

Sean is responsible for setting and collecting Camden’s rent and service charge income of around £230m per year and delivering lease management services for homeowners living in our properties. He also oversees the team carrying out investigations for the prevention and detection of housing-related fraud in Camden-managed homes.

Simone Melia, Head of Housing Solutions

Simone has worked across local authority housing and homelessness services for over 20 years. As Head of Housing Solutions, she holds responsibility for Camden’s homelessness and rough sleeping response. Aiming to prevent and tackle homelessness, our services include:

• statutory housing advice for those at risk of homelessness
• refugee resettlement
• floating support
• commissioning of rough sleeping services and single adult hostels
• support services at our in-house singles hostels

Property Management

Gavin Haynes, Director of Property Management

Gavin started his journey with Camden in 2004 and has worked in the social housing sector for local authorities and housing associations since 1994, following completion of a post graduate diploma in housing studies.

Gavin has overall responsibility for ensuring our 33,000 of council homes are well maintained, safe, efficient, and that our tenants are satisfied with property services to their homes and related assets. He provides strategic leadership in property management overseeing:

• asset management
• repairs and operations
• capital works
• resident and building safety (including fire safety)
• customer service and engagement

He is a chartered housing manager (CIHCM) and a chartered facilities management surveyor (MRICS).

Tony Castle, Head of Repairs and Operations

With over 40 years of experience, Tony began his career as a plumber through a youth training scheme. He advanced to Head of Repairs at Haringey and now leads Camden’s Operations and Repairs. Tony oversees:

• day-to-day repairs
• disrepairs
• major repairs
• major damp and mould management
• Fire Risk Assessments (FRA)
• repairs and capital works for Camden’s voids and temporary accommodations

He also ensures compliance and efficiency in:

• domestic and district heating
• electrical systems
• gas services
• mechanical and electrical (M and E)
• lifts
• Water Safety

Scot Reid, Head of Housing Customer Service and Engagement

Scot has worked at Camden for 6 years.

As Head of Housing Customer Service and Engagement, the services he leads work together to understand, enable, and develop solutions for Camden tenants and leaseholders. His areas of responsibility include:

• resident engagement
• casework and support for Housing and Property complaints
• the repairs contact centre

Susanne Afra, Head of Capital Works

Susanne has worked for Camden for 5 years. She has been leading the Capital Works programme at Camden which focusses on maintaining our housing and school stock.

Susanne has spent her time improving the service received by residents and stakeholders by shaping and leading a team of project and programme managers to deliver projects that are keeping residents safe, warm, dry and living in energy-efficient homes.

The Capital works programme consists of key work areas including:

• Better Homes
• fire safety
• mechanical and electrical
• retrofit
• temporary accommodation
• sheltered housing

Sinéad Burke, Head of Property Asset Management

Sinéad joined Camden in 2024, with 10 years' experience in asset management, contract management and procurement in social housing. Before that, she worked as an architect, specialising in public sector health and education projects.

Her current role includes developing and delivering on the council’s long-term strategy to ensure its homes and schools are safe, warm and dry and provide quality homes and learning spaces. The team includes:

• asset management and investment planning functions
• compliance reporting
• procurement
• strategic asset management

Michal Jankowski, Head of Resident and Building Safety

Michal’s career started in social housing in 2007 when he joined Homes for Islington as a trainee having graduated from university. Michal joined Camden in 2024 having spent almost 6 years working in London Borough of Hackney where he held an assistant director role.

His current role focuses on ensuring residents and building safety across council-owned stock. More recently, the focus has been on delivery of the new regulatory requirements for higher risk buildings in Camden. Michal’s team delivers fire risk assessments, asbestos surveys and building safety assessments across the entire portfolio of housing.

In addition to a degree in urban studies and housing practice, Michal is also a chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health as well as a member of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers