Technology in housing provides many opportunities to make our tenants’ lives easier. Online portals can improve the way we communicate, and apps streamline the provision of services. Using smart devices in our homes, we can reduce our energy consumption. Big Data can help us better understand the impact of our services and the needs of our tenants.

However, not all people can access technology equally. 7% of the EU population have still never used the internet and 16% do not use it daily.¹ Barriers include insufficient digital skills and the cost of technology, particularly for families with children and low-income households. Public and social housing providers face the challenge of ensuring that all tenants are included in digital transformation.

Technology in housing and innovation in workplaces

Embracing innovation and technology in housing brings numerous benefits to employees, including increased automation, efficiency, and accuracy. To take full advantage, we need to adapt our working processes and implement new systems. Public and social housing providers must do so while considering numerous other factors, including budget constraints, cyber security and data privacy concerns, and the pressure to maintain high quality services.

What do we need?

We must be open to change. By sharing knowledge, public and social housing providers can become leaders in socially conscious innovation.

Our innovation will have a positive impact on our tenants and neighbourhoods. People will feel more connected to the community and empowered to take advantage of services. Successful digital transformation of our work processes will free up valuable resources, increase efficiency, and future-proof our organisations.

Upcoming activities

Digital Communication and Technology Topic Group activities are only open to our members. If you are a member, you can sign up through the Members Only Zone. If you are not yet a member, find out more about joining us.

[1] Eurostat, 2023.