Social housing providers have an important role to play in enabling their customers to get online and stay online. Partnerships with other third sector providers and commercial providers are crucial to addressing Digital Inclusion barriers, however it is important that partners have a shared understanding of the context and challenges partners may face.
CHI members have provided the points below about common challenges around connectivity and kit partnerships:
- Housing providers have good connections with their customers, but engagement can take time. One of the big benefits of working with social housing providers is that they work with customer groups who are most likely to be digital excluded, such as people with disabilities, low income families and unemployed customers, as well as many older people. Getting messages right and engaging customers can take time, given the multiple barriers and changing circumstance they face. However, getting it right leads to real social impact and key experience to take to other projects and markets.
- Payment models make a big difference to the viability of an offer. Although housing providers are used to managing payments from customers and other sources, managing payments for equipment and connectivity can be difficult. Important considerations include whether the housing provider would need to maintain a reserve to cover gaps between when a supplier is paid and when customer payments are received and what happens where customer payment are missed. The overheads for processing payments and agreements with customers are also a consideration.