Local Digital is planning to develop a set of data standards for social housing and to build a data community for the sector.
The team within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said this follows discovery and alphas phase work that has developed a broad picture of relevant issues, and is a first step in enacting a long term strategy.
It said the need for standards derives from ongoing problems in sharing data in the sector.
Large problems
“There are some large, well documented problems within social housing including the housing emergency, barriers to first time homeownership for young people, and financial sustainability of the sector as a whole,” it said in a blogpost.
“A key challenge is unconnected technology systems that can’t share data with each other. Social housing providers find it difficult to access, combine, and use data.”
Local Digital said the strategy is centred on five outcomes: building the social housing data community; finding a sector ownership model for relevant standards; prioritising, developing and refining the data standards; designing services to support their adoption; and defining the value and case for change.
The community will develop the data standards with input from housing associations, local authorities and technology suppliers, and support from the Housing Associations Charitable Trust and the Open Data institute.
