Housing Associations and the absence of competition

Competition is a fundamental part of a capitalist economy. Several independent private companies offer products to consumers. Their objective is to make money from selling these products or services. The other side of competition is that consumers choose what they want from a wide range of options. Price is a key determinant, and prices arise…

The case for a National Social Housing Database

We need a National Social Housing Database, combining Open Data with Technology Standards. Sector wide, and government-led, this would be the cheapest and fastest way to drive improvement in social housing, transforming the customer experience while reducing costs. This is not just a technology solution. It is a multi-level good governance opportunity. Regulator-set data standards…

The Case for Collaboration

Competition is a defining component of a capitalist economy. It has positive effects – encouraging companies to design new products, reduce prices and improve services. Unfortunately, it is also very wasteful – the wheel is reinvented several times before the optimum design is adopted. The Housing Association sector is considered to be outside or at…

Does the Ombudsman have anything to say about Housing Association Technology?

Yes, he has: Unlike previous Spotlight reports, which have concentrated on … service provision, this report focuses on an underlying reason that services end up failing. The correlation between poor knowledge and information management and delay, poor communication, financial uncertainty and poor complaints handling, and the human consequences of that, are evident… Successful knowledge and…

Does the Regulator have anything to say about Housing Technology?

Back in 2017 The Homes and Communities Agency (now the Regulator for Social Housing)(RSH) wrote an important Innovation Plan. This plan considers how the sector might innovate and use the huge potential of technology, and mentions disruptive business models like “Uber and Airbnb” (paragraph 2) show the potential of technology to completely transform established industries….