Leslie Morrell scooped the prize at the Housing Heroes Awards organised jointly by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Inside Housing.
The awards are one of the largest annual housing events in the United Kingdom and recognises exceptional individuals who have improved lives and communities through their service.
Mr Morrell said: "It is surprising and humbling to win an award like this. My focus has always been on collaborating and sharing power with as many people as possible to create the conditions for everyone to move forward. Very many other people took great leaps of faith to make it possible and this award is for them also.
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"When we started out we know that something had to be done urgently to improve the lives of people and communities in Northern Ireland. We had no idea at the time exactly how housing associations would work here, we just knew that good homes should be the heart of social change. There is still much work to do of course, but we can be proud of the difference we've made and are continuing to make."
Mr Morrell remains Honorary President of Choice Housing which can trace its roots back to James Butcher Housing Association, which he established in 1976. Michael McDonnell, Group Chief Executive of Choice Housing said:
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