Kate Wareing

Chief Executive, Soha

1 What do you do for fun?

Not enough! I love being in nature – walking, swimming, and I think the Merlin bird song identification app is a work of genius. I love travelling – I love meeting new people and seeing things from a different perspective.

2 You have the power to change one thing about the social housing sector: what would it be?

I’d open up allocations so that everyone who can’t afford to buy or rent a home has a chance to access a secure home through us. Although allocating to the person who ‘needs’ that home the most always makes sense on an individual level, it doesn’t work long term for communities. We need our communities to see social housing as for them and their children and support us to build far more of it.

3 What advice would you give to someone starting out in housing?

Always remember that your job is about people. We’re often involved with people at points of crisis in their lives, and how you’re treated by others at a point of crisis really matters.

4 What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever experienced?

OK, this is about to take an unexpected turn. I was raped and nearly killed by a stranger about 14 years ago. Knowing what I thought about when I was expecting to die is definitely the strangest thing I’ve ever experienced. That knowledge has been oddly protective ever since. I also decided very shortly after I had survived that I wouldn’t hide what had happened to me. I’m not responsible for, or ashamed of, having been raped, and politically I think it’s important that we understand how common sexual assault is.

5 Who’s your favourite author, and why?

I’m much better at identifying my favourite books than authors. One of my favourite books is To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. Spoiler: it’s not happy! It’s set in New York over three time periods – one of which is in the future. I love the way that the links between people across these three periods of time are built, and it’s also an incredibly well written warning about what the future could become if we aren’t careful about our world, our politics and our freedoms.

6 What are your three favourite albums?

Europe is Lost by Kae Tempest, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill, and Random Access Memories by Daft Punk. At least that’s my answer today.

7 Favourite film or TV series?

The West Wing

8 Proudest achievement?

Having raised three functional young adults, and I’m very proud of Soha and all we achieve together too.

9 A world without music or a world without literature – and why?

Literature has to go, although with a very heavy heart. I love music. I love how it reaches your emotions and creates connection. And you also can’t dance to a book.

10 Favourite place in the world?

What an impossible question. New York for its energy. Laos for calm and beauty.

11 You can resurrect anyone from history and talk to them for an hour: who, and why?

I’d pick someone who I wanted to understand better, and whose perspective I don’t share, but who has had a big impact on the world – there are lots of them!

12 Favourite food?

Anything eaten by the sea in the sunshine.

13 Most embarrassing moment?

That I’m prepared to share? My team singing happy birthday to me on my 50th birthday at our staff conference.

14 If you didn’t work in housing, what would you do?

Ideally, I’d run a really lovely florist.

15 What makes for a good life?

Relationships with people you love, being part of a community of people who you care about, and being lucky enough to do a job you enjoy and believe matters.