Vulnerable people 'digitally excluded' from social housing, activist warns
The comments have come after a recent change of software, requiring residents to submit their email address, when applying for social housing
Vulnerable people are being “digitally excluded” from accessing social housing in North Somerset, a Weston-super-Mare housing activist has warned.
Applications for social housing dropped by half after the online system for applications changed and started requiring an email address, said Alan Rice of Weston Housing Action. He was addressing North Somerset Council’s cabinet as a public speaker on October 18.
Mr Rice said he had got in touch with the council to ask about inconsistent numbers given for the number of people applying for social housing, and was told they had “lost a lot of applicants” when they migrated the Homechoice system onto new software Housing Jigsaw in 2020, which required people to re-register on the new system. The number of people on the waiting list for housing dropped from 3,500 to 1,700.
Mr Rice said: “The numbers halved on a change of software. If that is not digital exclusion, I don’t know what is.”
He added: “Certainly part of the reason is the new software which requires an email address, which so many of those seeking social housing do not possess.”
Mr Rice said he spent a lot of time creating email addresses for people to help them apply for social housing. But he said: “Even if you have an email address, the application is not easy. Especially when you use a phone, which is the norm nowadays.”
One woman with learning difficulties applying for housing told Mr Rice that it took her seven hours to complete her application. She had to watch a YouTube video on how to download apps to scan her documents and had to keep going back in the application to see previous screens. She said: “Finally in the end I did it, but it should never have been so hard.”
Another application who got in touch with Mr Rice for help said: “I am hoping I have done it all properly; it’s really tricky on the phone. I have attempted eight times to upload my passport to Jigsaw now and it has failed each time.”
Council leader Mike Bell said: “I think it is worth noting that there is absolutely support available for people who are digitally excluded and there are other ways to access support from our housing and homelessness team, so I wouldn’t want to leave people thinking that applicants are left to their own devices.”
He said the council’s cabinet member for housing would meet with Mr Rice to discuss the issues he raised.