The housing teams driving innovation with technology

From drones to AI, the housing sector is turning to new and emerging technologies to deliver efficiencies and drive improvements. We caught up with a few pioneers to find out what’s working, what’s not, and to what extent innovative technologies can ease pressures.

An overhaul of industry practice has led the Regulator of Social Housing to enforce new legislative standards to ensure all social homes are safe, fit for purpose, and building-regulation compliant. 

Immediate concerns such as damp and mould, responsive repairs, and fire safety are now competing with longer-term targets such as decarbonisation, future stock investment and secured funding. Meanwhile, providers across the country continue to struggle with increased operating costs and service demands. 

With all this to think about and more, some are having to think outside the box to ensure they are making the best use of available time, supplies and resources. 

In with the new 

It can feel uncomfortable to move away from traditional processes. However, there is a requirement for the sector to be open to new methods and emerging technology. Keeping the status quo can not only have a negative impact on resources but fuel longer waiting times for residents and create unnecessary backlogs. 

And with a recent report by City Councils Network indicating yet more local authorities could be facing deeper financial difficulties in the near future, thinking more innovatively could mean the difference between success and failure. 

Swindon Borough Council, for one, has started using drones for roofing inspections, as well as for other purposes. The scheme has so far been a success and is shaking up how tenants' services are conducted in the South West. 

“The idea of using drones actually came before the idea of using them specifically for roofing repairs,” explains Philip Murkin, Swindon Borough Council’s chief digital officer. “We’d been looking across the sector and at other organisational bodies who were already using the technology for things like maintenance and repairs work – for example, Network Rail. 

“We completed a discovery process, bought our first drone and then investigated how it could best be used in a number of areas, including our roofing inspections.” 

Like many local authorities, Swindon Borough Council had accumulated a backlog of repairs, chiefly through the COVID restrictions period. Alongside this were a number of other ongoing issues, including staff shortages and high rates of missed appointments due to tenants not being home when inspections were needed. 

Philip Murkin  |  chief digital officer, Swindon Borough Council

It wasn’t just about engagement with intent; we were genuinely prepared to stop the scheme if our tenants didn’t want it to go ahead

The drone initiative had the potential to solve several key problem areas. However, getting ‘buy-in’ from stakeholders can often be challenging, especially in a risk-averse sector under constant scrutiny. Luckily, the initial funding needed was relatively small in relation to comparable pilot schemes, and the council was open to exploring the idea. 

“We are fortunate to work in an organisation that really embraces innovation and is open to looking at different service delivery models,” Philip says. 

“We still had to dot the i’s and cross the t’s: bringing drones into operation required going through a variety of health, safety and privacy checks. 

“These included getting the drones registered, registering with the Civil Aviation Authority, extra training for staff, and most importantly, getting consent from residents who may have safety and privacy concerns.” 

There was a large cohort to win over due to the number of people involved in running the services. However, getting buy-in from residents was paramount. The team wanted to ensure their concerns were front and centre in relation to how they designed the scheme. 

“It helped that it was a very small outlay to prove the concept,” Philip says, “and we were prepared that if it didn’t get off the ground (excuse the pun) then it wouldn’t be a big problem, and there would be lots of other things we could use the equipment for.”

Building trust 

The team was keen to measure the tenant experience at every step. Keeping residents involved and in control was a crucial element of the engagement process, which in turn helped to gain the trust of tenants who had not been so sure at the beginning. 

“We were careful to run a proof of concept with our tenants and to underline that their data and information would be robustly protected,” Philip says. 

“But it wasn’t just about engagement with intent; we were genuinely prepared to stop the scheme if our tenants didn’t want it to go ahead.” 

Fortunately, the initiative went better than the council ever expected, with 94 per cent of tenants giving the scheme the initial go-ahead, and subsequently gaining buy-in from the remaining stakeholders who had been more risk-adverse at the beginning of the pilot. 

“Once you are presented with the numbers, as well as how it has positively impacted the council in other ways, all those initial concerns disappear.”

Swindon Borough Council has started using drones to aid with roof inspections

The scheme has also resulted in a number of additional improvements. As well as shortening the average scaffolding usage time by 45 per cent, the drones can identify problems more swiftly, reducing tenants’ waiting times. Before the scheme, the average inspection time was 64 days; a drone being deployed takes 17 minutes.

The drones were able to identify some non-roofing issues, too, including hazardous materials, which meant further waiting time reduction and disruption for tenants were eliminated, while risks were reduced for staff. 

Tenants also enjoy engaging with the team’s drone operators and watching the drones flying above their homes and find it a novelty to see what’s up on their roofs and on their property. But it’s not only the tenant experience that has improved. 

“Our operatives have benefitted from better engagement with tenants as well as gaining confidence and expertise in a new area and being able to show the full breadth of their skills,” Philip says. 

“Some of them are now converts and have even bought their own drones to use in their spare time.” 

Seeing results

The drone initiative has made a significant impact on Swindon Borough Council’s outcomes in several key areas, including financial savings, efficiency improvements and expanding employees’ skill sets. In a sector currently contending with increasingly higher standards in all these areas, it must come as a relief to see these outcomes. But has the new technology saved money by replacing team members? 

“We’re saving over £80,000 per year by using the drones, which cost us just £1,000 to employ,” Murkin explains. “We haven’t looked to change our staffing structure though, as it was never our intention to replace our people with technology. 

“What we wanted in terms of outcomes was to improve the services for our tenants and also to improve the experiences of our staff and operatives, which we have achieved. 

“By freeing staff up to do more things in different areas, we are delivering a better quality of service, which is the primary aim, whilst also creating a better and safer working environment for our teams.”

Jenny Danson  |  associate director, Disruptive Innovators Network

The great thing about AI is that the data can be captured by tenants, rather than a team of surveyors, at a time that is convenient to them

Swindon Borough Council is not the only sector organisation embracing the future. Jenny Danson (pictured below, right), associate director at Disruptive Innovators Network (DIN) and head of Proptech Innovation Network (PIN), has been looking at how AI can support stock condition surveys both inside and outside of properties.

Jenny explains how her team has been capturing data using aerial photography service Get Mapping, drones, and AI to collate data and get an accurate record of their properties. 

“The great thing about AI is that, in many cases, the data can be captured by tenants, rather than a team of surveyors, at a time that is convenient to them,” she says.

“The process is continuous, and information can be updated in real time, so stock-condition reporting becomes a much more agile and accurate resource that can be used across the organisation.” 

Jenny is part of a collective drive for greater innovation across the sector, and believes it is key for the entire industry to get on board if we are to create the future we want to see in terms of sustainability and efficiency. 

“With so many issues around skill shortages, resources and waiting times, AI can play a key part in offsetting many of the housing industry’s biggest challenges,” she says. 

“Just imagine how effective these initiatives could be if there was a sector-wide approach.” 

The Hyde Group has also been benefitting from the efficiency, time and resources saved by using AI to assist with its assets-auditing process. The group has been working with Trowers and Hamlins’ ‘Title’ tool, which provides key information from the Land Registry.  

“We own about 45,000 properties spread across 6,350 titles and want an accurate and up-to-date picture of our ownership,” says Jonathan Goldstraw, senior project director for partnerships and regeneration. 

“The tool can extract all data into a single place for us to analyse. What would probably take months can now be done in a couple of weeks.” 

Jonathan says The Hyde Group is focussed on delivering safe, sustainable and affordable homes, whilst making the most effective use of resources. 

“To do this,” he explains, “we need to make sure we’re using the right platforms that integrate with each other and ultimately make everything we do better, smarter and deliver value for money – for both our customers and Hyde. 

“The social housing sector faces huge challenges in making better use of technology to improve service delivery. There’s a huge range of solution providers in the market, so finding the right one takes time and can be very daunting.” 

Facing the future 

As the sector moves forward, there will be an increased urgency for housing providers to think outside the box and take a different approach to solving some of the most common challenges. Organisations will need to become leaner, more efficient and more innovative, whilst also thinking about how best to attract the right people to their organisations. 

We have a wealth of existing and emerging technology at our fingertips with the potential to disrupt the sector for good. For those who are still struggling to innovate, what would Philip’s advice be? 

“I’m a chief digital officer, and part of what I come up against every day is that the expectations around technology in society are changing,” he says. “If we don’t keep up with those expectations, then we are not delivering the best possible service to our tenants and our customers. 

“I would encourage any housing organisation to really think about the customer experience, and ask yourself, are you meeting the expectations of your customers with all the different technology you have available to you right now? Are you making the best use of it? 

“It can be a struggle to innovate in such a risk-averse sector, so start with the low-cost innovations. Prove the concept on the ground, and be prepared to fail. If it doesn’t work, then scrap it.” 

He adds: “How do you know how people will respond unless you’ve tried it? I genuinely did not anticipate that we would get such a positive response to the drones, but the outcomes have been phenomenal.”

Main image: Marino Bocelli/Shutterstock