Basingstoke & Deane cut down on the use of spreadsheets and emails, thanks to a new Housing Register dedicated to First Homes and Low-Cost Home Ownership

The challenge Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council (BDBC) needed a way to record interest expressed in housing schemes without the use of spreadsheets and manual systems. The new system would need to allow BDBC to collect applicant data and verify applications for eligibility, as well as report on the data and contact applicants when properties meeting their needs become available.

The solution

Home Connections took on the task of building a new intermediate housing register, specifically designed to manage first homes and low-cost home ownership. The system included an online application form that seamlessly linked to BDBC’s back office, eliminating the need for manual data transfer.

The Intermediate Housing Register was built with powerful features from Unity (Housing Register system). Applicants could save their online application and return to it at a later stage to complete it. They also could receive information about their eligibility, decide whether to proceed with a full application and choose to cancel their application at any point.

We also designed a website that would only advertise help to buy and current low-cost home ownership properties.

The result

As a result, Basingstoke & Dean could reduce their paper trail and move the specialist housing services online. By automating their processes and empowering applicants with self-service, Basingstoke and Deane’s housing officers gained more flexibility and time to focus on other vital housing services.