José Ospina is a Consultant specialising in development and management of housing, recycling and environmental projects.
José has worked for clients in public, private and non-profit sectors, both in Ireland, Europe and South America, and developed and submitted Projects for European funding under several EU Programmes, including ECOS-Ouvertures, Interreg, ALTENER and the LIFE-Environment Programme.
He began working in housing in 1973 with Bristol Self- Help Housing Association, a short-life association which still operates today. He has worked with self-build organisations in South America, developed co-operative housing projects for CHISEL, a Secondary Housing Co-operative in south east London (two of these projects won the prestigious RIBA/DoE/NHBC design award), and worked for the South London Family Housing Association, and for Novas-Ouvertures Group in Ireland.
Jóse has secured funding from various EU funding sources, including the Third System and Employment (DGV), the ECOS-Overtures (DGXVI) and Life-Environment Programmes ALTERNER (Directorate Energy) and Article 13 (DGV), for diverse housing, social and recycling initiatives.
Previous employers include FEDEVIVIENDA (Colombian federation of community housing organisations), CECOP (European confederation of social and production co-operatives), Co-op Home Services (London), Bournemouth Churches Housing Association, Bootstrap Enterprises, the Walter Segal Trust, London Borough of Bromley, Get Tallaght Working and Housing Ourselves - Comparative Study of Housing Participation (Dublin), Dublin Corporation and Dublin Arts Centre, Cork County Council and the Presentation Order.
José holds and MA in Architecture, a Certificate in Housing Association Finance and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Housing Association Development Management. He speaks a variety of languages including English and Spanish, some Italian and French.
His book "Housing Ourselves" deals with user-participation in housing. He has written reports on third sector and recycling issues, and for various housing journals. He has been Services Development Manager for the Novas-Overtures Group Ltd. in Ireland, and currently works for Dublin City Council as a Project Manager for Project HEATSUN, a IT Reuse and Eco-design Project, and as Secretary of the Carbery Housing Association.