Kate McCauley, Chief Executive Officer
Kate McCauley is the Chief Executive at Housing Rights, a position she has held since February 2023. Kate has overall responsibility for the effective leadership and operation of Housing Rights through the Senior Management Team.
Kate has held several positions within the organisation since she joined in December 2015, including as Head of Policy & Development.
Kate has been involved in Housing and Homelessness since 2009, working in charities which focus on improving outcomes for communities who are most vulnerable to poor housing and homelessness. She previously worked with Human Rights NGO Participation and the Practice of Rights where she advocated at local, national and international levels. She has also served as a Director on a number of Boards including Council for the Homeless (now Homeless Connect). She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Law Centre NI.
Kate holds postgraduate qualifications in Law and Human Rights and she is a fellow of Clore Social Leadership.
Brenda Parker, Head of Services
Brenda has more than two decades of experience in the housing and homelessness sector. She holds a BSc in Psychology and a postgraduate qualification in Criminology and the Criminal Justice System.
Since joining Housing Rights in 2006, Brenda has played a pivotal role in shaping and expanding the organisation’s services. She was instrumental in establishing housing advocacy and peer-led advice provision within Northern Ireland’s prison system, breaking new ground in providing vital support to people at risk of homelessness upon release. This pioneering work has become a model of effective, person-centred intervention for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals.
In her role on the senior management team, Brenda provides strategic leadership that ensures Housing Rights’ services deliver measurable impact. She has strengthened the organisation’s ability to respond to complex housing challenges, championed best practice, and embedded a culture of excellence across advice, mediation, information and partnership services. Through her leadership, Housing Rights continues to improve housing outcomes for our communities and set the benchmark for high-quality housing advice in Northern Ireland.
Brenda received the CIH Inspirational Colleague Award in 2010 and currently serves on the Board of Homeless Connect.
Jamie Miller, Head of Policy & Development
Jamie is the newest member of the Housing Rights leadership team, having joined the organisation in July 2025. Jamie brings a track record of delivering positive outcomes across a breadth of policy areas, including social policy, energy policy, and environmental policy.
Before taking up the Head of Policy and Development role in Housing Rights, Jamie was working as a Consumer Futures Analyst for the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator. In this role, he was responsible for advancing the organisation's understanding of the Just Transition, with the goal of supporting broader government targets around achieving net zero while safeguarding the interests of consumers, particularly those who might be considered vulnerable.
Jamie has significant previous experience working for voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland. Between 2021 and 2024, he was the Northern Ireland Policy Lead for the UK’s leading Fuel Poverty Charity, National Energy Action (NEA). In this role, Jamie was responsible for leading the organisation's policy work in the region, coordinating the NI Fuel Poverty Coalition, and supporting the regional Director in delivering NEA’s policy priorities. A personal highlight of his time with NEA was representing the Fuel Poverty Coalition at the NI Affairs Committee in Westminster during the energy crisis.
Prior to joining NEA, Jamie held the post of Local Environmental Quality Manager for the environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. In this role, Jamie oversaw the delivery of several flagship programmes, including the internationally recognised Blue Flag Awards, the Northern Ireland Marine Litter Surveys, and the INTERREG-funded EU SWIM project. As a department manager, Jamie also had responsibility for ensuring high-quality service provision, developing training and resources, and generating revenue.
Roz Tate, Interim Head of Finance and Corporate Services
Roz Tate is an experienced finance leader with a strong track record across the charitable and housing sectors. Currently serving as Interim Head of Finance and Corporate Services, she previously held the role of Financial Controller at Housing Rights (2021-2025), strengthening financial governance and organisational performance.
Roz spent 14 years with MACS Supporting Children and Young People, progressing from administrative roles to Senior Finance Manager. She led on financial planning, reporting, budgeting and procurement, contributing to strategic decision making for a multimillion-pound organisation. Her earlier career also includes experience as a Property Accounts Manager.
Roz holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Charity Finance and Accountancy and an ILM Level 5 qualification in Leadership and Management. She is known for her strategic insight, collaborative approach and commitment to building financially sustainable organisations.
Amy Lyness, Advice Services Manager
Amy has been dedicated to the housing sector since 2013, bringing over a decade of experience advocating for housing justice and supporting individuals and families in need. Since joining Housing Rights in 2015, Amy has held a number of frontline roles, including working directly on the organisation’s helpline—one of the most critical support channels for those facing housing challenges. Amy progressed to her current role as Advice Service Manager where in this leadership position, she oversees the daily operations of the advice team, She is passionate about empowering people with knowledge and strives to break down complex housing issues and legal frameworks into practical advice that enables people to advocate for themselves with confidence and dignity.
Magdalena Bisewska, Advice Services Manager
Magdalena began her career in the advice sector in 2008 volunteering with the former Citizens Advice Bureau where she developed a strong commitment to social justice and supporting people to challenge unfairness.
She has since built extensive experience across the voluntary, public and private sectors in advice, advocacy and leadership roles. Magdalena first joined Housing Rights as a Housing Debt Adviser where she spent over six years providing advice and advocacy services, supporting individuals experiencing mortgage or rent arrears and providing court representation. In 2016 she moved into a leadership role within the public sector strengthening her experience in service delivery and operational management. In 2024, she completed an LLM in Access to Justice at Ulster University enhancing her expertise in rights-based service delivery.
Prior to rejoining Housing Rights in March 2026 as Advice Services Manager, she was Advice Centre Manager at Upper Springfield Development Trust where she managed a busy advice centre, led on expanding the advice team and developing services and designed and delivered projects in response to community need.
Alongside her professional role Magdalena has a passion for volunteering and has supported People’s Kitchen over the past two years, working with people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion.
As Advice Services Manager she provides strategic leadership across advice services with responsibility for service development, quality and performance.