The City Council of Glasgow, Scotland has developed a Digital Housing Strategy with the goals of improving digital housing services, tackling digital exclusion, and enhancing the collection, analysis, and display of housing data.
The Council worked with registered social landlords (RSLs), private landlords, and other stakeholders with an interest in housing and digital services in the creation of the strategy. 32 RSLs – who own three-quarters of the city’s social rented housing supply – provided feedback. According to their data, 65% of households living in the city’s social rented housing sector do not use a broadband connection in their home. The main reasons for this digital exclusion include affordability, lack of skills, and/or a reluctance to conduct transactions online.
The strategy calls for expanding the provision of digital housing services offered to RSL households living in the city, addressing digital exclusion through various initiatives, and increasing the provision of affordable broadband. It will also seek ways for the city’s RSLs to use digital platforms to expand how customers choose to access services and housing. It hopes to develop a web-based common housing register for Glasgow that would help to improve residents’ access to affordable housing, while also improving the collection of data.
“The development of a Digital Housing Strategy presents a range of opportunities for delivering service improvements across the city’s housing sector using technology and innovation,” said councilor Kenny McLean, city convener for neighborhoods, housing, and the public realm at the Council. “Glasgow City Council will continue to work effectively with registered social landlords and other partners to address the challenges that are outlined in the strategy. Working together with partners to deliver the action plan will enhance access to, and the quality of, housing for many people.”