How I Use My Direct Housing Experience to Deliver Better Outcomes with GIS
05/11/2025
Rick Thompson,
What I Learned from My Time at Trafford Housing Trust
Before joining ODCGIS in 2017, I spent three years as GIS Officer at Trafford Housing Trust (THT) in Manchester, having previously worked for Cheshire Police. At the police, GIS was central to operational decision-making, mapping CCTV coverage, analysing crime patterns, and optimising resource deployment. One of my proudest achievements there was developing a CCTV Mapping Project that streamlined evidence gathering for investigations, earning recognition from both the Chief Constable and the Home Secretary.
When I moved to THT, I saw a new kind of challenge: how to use GIS not for policing but for people, the residents and staff that make up a housing association. I was instrumental in establishing GIS across the organisation, supporting every department from maintenance to lettings. The goal was simple: understand how each team worked and then show them how GIS could make their work faster, smarter, and more transparent.
It quickly became clear that many housing associations were missing out on the cost savings, efficiencies, and insights that GIS could offer. Having seen the transformation first-hand, I wanted to help more organisations achieve the same results.
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