Glasgow City Council has partnered to establish a digital housing strategy, In an unprecedented experience aimed at improving services, Especially digital ones, and distribute them fairly.

The human right to adequate and safe housing is one of his most important needs, It is therefore a core priority for governments seeking to provide highly efficient public services. In Scotland, Several actors share a common role in shaping the housing landscape, Foremost among them is the Association of Registered Social Owners, It is an entity that brings together independent organisations, housing associations, trusts and cooperatives registered with Scottish Homes and Communities. Under the Housing Act of 1996, These institutions work on the renovation and restoration of real estate and secure housing for individuals, Especially from the socially vulnerable groups, people of determination or the elderly.

In 2020, The authorities conducted a questionnaire on the housing issue, The results showed that more than half of registered social workers lack a digital strategy to regulate their activities. In addition, 86% of the partners in the housing network consider the sector to lag behind others digitally. The survey also highlighted the phenomenon of “digital exclusion”. These include barriers that prevent many from accessing digital services, either due to the low level of services in their areas or their high cost, This applies to residents of rented social housing, Older people may include those who are inclined to traditional means of communication. The survey also showed that 35% of households lacked broadband coverage. This has often led them to resort to mobile phone data to access the Internet, which is expensive compared to others, This may limit their access to the Services.

Going back to the Scottish Multi-Species Deprivation Index data in the same year, 10% of the most deprived areas of the country are home to 29% of citizens. Even a geographical study showed that deprivation in Glasgow as a whole is linked to the neighbourhoods in which the RMA operates.

To change this reality, The association collaborated with the City Council, partners from private property owners and stakeholders interested in housing, healthcare, social and digital services, To develop the digital strategy for housing in Glasgow.

First thing The executive team launched polls, holding meetings, data collection, Expert consultation, to come up with a strategy that presents actions that will be implemented between 2022 and 2028, It addresses the main challenges facing the issue of housing in the city, possible interventions and priorities of local needs, of achieving equitable access to technology, Enhancing the presence of digital systems in the housing sector, Reducing exclusion and deprivation, Establishing an effective and effective partnership, and increase health and well-being.

The team selected 4 main pillars on which the strategy is based: namely data, digital inclusivity, systems and services, and technology. While the data was considered a separate pillar, They are linked to the systems and technology pillars, The Council expects its partners to provide data related to housing management, property status, maintenance operations, customer satisfaction, and others. This is to explore the possibility of using digital platforms or to find a unified approach to improve data collection, storage and analysis.

Whereas, more than half of the registered landlords association members reported that they had collected data on tenants’ use of digital services, The second pillar was based on improving digital infrastructure, securing modern devices and affordable broadband coverage for all. To reduce social isolation, support distance learning and facilitate access to government support, Even 69% of the association’s members offered tenants to borrow the devices they needed.

In terms of systems and services, The Council will work on the development of a public register of housing, Where a citizen can apply for social housing. This feature will be added to the list of services provided by most landlords online, such as reporting maintenance or paying rent, Also, 22% of the approved systems include partial processing of requests and data, The vast majority of landlords use social media platforms such as Facebook to communicate with tenants.

As for the fourth pillar, It is to provide citizens with technological skills, correct their misconceptions, and build their trust in the Internet to achieve the maximum possible benefit from it.

The Council team has developed a model for public consultation, For citizens to share their views and observations on the evolution of the strategy, This serves the city’s endeavor to collect best practices to promote digital inclusion within a comprehensive guide.

Despite the promise of technology in terms of qualitative shifts in efficiency and quality, Part of the population will not replace them with traditional means of communication, such as telephone or personal interviews. But this challenge barely arose before the team denied any intention to eliminate the usual ways of communicating and accessing services.

While the broadband service endeavor posed other challenges, Such as providing training for different age groups who may lack the skills or confidence to enable them to use the Internet, In addition to guiding them to choose devices that they can afford and can meet their needs, Especially with regard to low-income people, who make up 19% of the population.

The digitization of services will bring many benefits to property owners and residents, They offer opportunities to explore potential, save costs and improve data collection, analysis and presentation. As for citizens, The availability of the public register to them will improve their access to social housing, Online platforms will take their hand to make better choices and improve their access to services.

In addition, Providing affordable broadband connectivity will meet the social, economic, educational and health needs of thousands of families amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perhaps the most important impact is the collection of accurate data that will provide the authorities with a comprehensive picture of the current landscape to plan their future agendas.

References:

• https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=55346&p=0
• https://glasgowcityofscienceandinnovation.com/glasgows-digital-housing-strategy-to-improve-housing-services-and-tackle-digital-exclusion/