CIH Scotland's Housing Festival: visit stand 32 to know how tech will change customer's journey to social housing
The biggest housing event in Scotland will return to Edinburgh on the 3rd and 4th of March this year. Bringing you expert keynotes, top-level debate, hands-on knowledge, innovation and focused on the biggest issues in the housing sector today, the Housing Festival will provide something that suits everyone from the sector.
Home Connections is excited to participate in this event once more, so join us & Homefinder UK at the stand 32 to discuss our vision for the future of social housing and what tech solutions will pave the way for faster, cheaper and more democratic access to social housing.
CIH Scotland's Housing Festival 2020
When: 3rd & 4th March 2020
Where: EICC, Edinburgh
This event has now ended
Need an immediate housing solution for homelessness prevention?
As the number of children in temporary accommodation in Scotland hit the highest figure since 2002, growing homelessness is a prescient issue that requires immediate action. Come see our team at stand 32 to know how we can provide a quicker route to social housing across the UK through our national mobility scheme, Homefinder UK. The scheme has helped to rehouse over 550 homeless households and was recently shortlisted as a finalist for the UK Housing Award 2020 in Innovator of the Year - Tenant Services. To book a demo, contact landlords@homefinderuk.org.
A new decade to transform access to social housing
The last decade saw exciting breakthroughs for technology: we saw the revolution of the Internet of Things, the adoption of biometrics, the rise of smartphones to revolutionise how we interact with each other and with services and the developments in machine learning that made artificial intelligence a reality, to quote a few. The past decade laid foundation for what the 2020s will bring in terms of technological innovation. But how will it impact public services, and more specifically, the housing sector?
Enhanced interaction between Human & Machine
The interaction with AI voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa in our everyday life became natural. When paired with other devices and integrated to other services, these voice assistants can go way beyond than just answering questions about the weather. The German National Committee for UN Women, for example, has developed a prototype for the first voice assistant against domestic abuse. We are currently working on a prototype to integrate with Alexa to help housing customers to interact directly with services and systems. Here is why Voice User Interface will continue to advance. To find out how your services can be linked in to digital voice assistants and a free demo, contact us today.
Predicting customer demand & behaviour
Can years of data help you predict what your customers will need or what type of housing they will most likely accept, who is more likely to become homeless? Through predictive analysis, statistical modelling, machine learning, and data mining techniques, companies will be able to analyse the past and present data to predict future behaviours. Here are the key trends for analytics for 2020 and beyond. Contact Zubair Mirza to find out more: zubair.mirza@home-connections.co.uk.
Authentication through Biometrics
Biometric authentication technology allows the customer to be the access device, reducing the need to remember so many passwords, PINs, cards details, etc. Since biometrics are uniquely individual and accurate, it provides secure authentication, and it can help organisations to detect potential fraud. Read more about biometrics & cybersecurity, and how this technology can benefit enterprises, financial institutions, telecoms, insurance companies and the government here.
Intelligent monitoring for better social care
UK's population is steadily ageing and technology will play a big part in how we look after our elderly population. Tech companies have created a range of solutions that allow elderly people to remain independent at home for longer. We are currently developing a partnership with a company (ParentMonitor) that developed an unique monitoring system that can monitor physical activity in the elder's home, and also can determine if a person is lonely or socially isolated and send alerts in case of accidents. Find out more about smart tech for the elderly. For further information or a demo, contact ninesh.muthiah@home-connections.co.uk.
Technology against the Housing Crisis
How can we use technology solutions to solve or at least reduce the housing crisis & tackle homelessness in our country? Tech already makes a difference by improving how housing organisations can manage their housing stock and allocations through systems such as Choice-Based Lettings. Automated processes can help to match supply with demand, innovative construction methods can help increase the online supply, and better data understanding can help us improve prevention actions to avoid rent arrears, homelessness and more. Email zubair.mirza@home-connections.co.uk to discuss options.
The future is upon us. Looking to improve your housing solutions for the next decade? Email office@home-connections.co.uk to learn how we can help.
Homefinder UK rehoused 40 domestic abuse survivors through new case management service
Our Domestic Abuse relocation service, Revive, a sub-project of our national mobility scheme, Homefinder UK, had a very successful first year: the project has rehoused 40 domestic abuse survivors into secured social housing where they can now live free of abuse and fear. The number of moves is double the figures expected for the first year of the project.
“We started this project from almost zero, and to see where it is now is immensely rewarding. I couldn’t be happier and prouder!", says Brenda Fraser, Revive Project Manager.
Here are some testimonials of those rehoused through this project:
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"I enjoy the new area I moved into and my children are now doing excellent in school”, says a DA survivor registered with Lambeth council
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"Thanks to Revive, my son and I finally have somewhere to call home”, says a DA survivor registered with Haringey Council
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"Homefinder UK and their Revive team granted me a miracle. After my neighbours attacked me, I was too afraid to leave the bedroom. Revive changed my life. I was overwhelmed when I received help because I was declined help so many times before. I wouldn't have endured much longer without it", says a male applicant referred to Revive by Barking & Dagenham.
Interested in knowing more about how Revive can help you relocate domestic abuse survivors? Email revive@homefinderuk.org or call 0203 823 1072.
New interactive website for River Clyde Homes now LIVE!
We are excited to announce we have partnered with River Clyde Homes to launch a brand new interactive website using Drupal technology. With an improved look and attractive design, the new River Clyde Homes' portal follows the re-branded corporate site design to improve the customer's experience. Fully integrated to Choice Based Lettings system, the new portal makes it easier for applicants to register online, search and bid for properties that matches their needs.
The re-branding brought also some new additions to offer a better service & more information for the home seekers: a section for recent News and a new Housing Advice section.
We have also collaborated with City of London and Bedfordshire Homes to launch easy-to-use, sophisticated and responsive portals.
Interested in good quality webdesign, that is responsive and have great usability? Check here how we can help you to revamp your website & contact us now for a free initial consultation.
Find out more about our web design services and hosting here
Mobile app developed in partnership with Leicester City Council is now LIVE
The MyHOME app aims to provide you with the right help, advice and information for those who are at risk of homelessness or are having housing difficulties. The app has been created in partnership between Leicester, Rutland, and the districts and boroughs of Leicestershire.
The app can be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet from the Apple Store or Google Play Store, using the links below:
Download MyHOME for iPhone
Download MyHOME for Android
For more info, access: MyHOME self-service housing advice
Homefinder UK: national mobility scheme rehoused over 500 homeless households
Our national mobility scheme, Homefinder UK, has reached a new milestone this year: over 500 homeless households found social housing across the UK through the scheme. This success was only possible because of a strong partnership maintained with the local authorities and housing associations who are members of our scheme and who are equally driven by the goal to reduce and prevent homelessness.
"Through the scheme, which is voluntary, our aim is to reduce homelessness and offer support to applicants through Case Management to ensure the property matches the applicant’s needs. As a result, we have a tenancy failure rate of less than 1%”, says Ninesh Muthiah, our CEO.
Check testimonials of those who have been rehoused through the scheme to know how Homefinder UK changed their lives.
Interested to know how Homefinder UK can support you to prevent and relief homelessness? Find out more here.
Published on media:
Reducing homelessness, one household at the time
Our HOPE seminar is coming to London this October!
Fed up with your current Homelessness Reduction Act software and looking for a better alternative? Need faster processing and interview times? Want an intelligent system to guide your staff? Then you are invited to attend our FREE hope seminar to learn more how our software can transform homelessness reduction services.
Where?
Westminster City Council (Room 18.07 and Room 18.08), 64 Victoria Street, London,
SW1E 6QP
When?
11th October 2019, 10am - 12pm
Contact us to book your FREE place.
* Please note this event is for Local Authorities only *
You will have the chance to see how our software can help you meet all the HRA challenges, create easy-to-manage Personal Housing Plans and provide:
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Full case management from approach to main duty
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Online paperless Personal Housing Plans available 24/7 and on the smartphone APP
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Instant chat service
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Reporting to meet management needs and H-CLIC compliant
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Dashboards bursting with gadgets to help you manage your workload and team
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Flexibility and bespoke configuration to support your local service
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and many more features
UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing to speak at our Connections Forum in Glasgow
We are excited to announce our Connections Forum is returning to Glasgow this 23rd August. The seminar will happen from 14:45 until 16:30 at Lipton House, 170 Crown Street, Glasgow G5 9XD.
The programme is open to all housing professionals, who want to know how to innovate their services through innovative housing solutions, such as our Homelessness Case Management software, hope, which can help you assess, record, provide advice as well as automated output of statistical returns (such as HL1, 3 and PREVENT1).
You will have the unique opportunity to hear from our special speaker, Ms Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, who joins our Forum to talk about the global shortage of housing via Skype. She will screen the trailer of "Push - The Film", the new and upcoming documentary by WG Film and Fredrik Gertten, which follows Leilani Farha as she travels the globe trying to understand why we can't afford to live in our cities any longer.
The programme will also include a presentation about Homefinder UK's newest specialist case management service, Revive, which supports domestic abuse survivors relocate to permanent social housing in a safe environment, in a different part of the country.
To register for this event, please email ildiko.mezo@home-connections.co.uk.
Home Connections at the International Social Housing Festival
This year, Home Connections was invited to the International Social Housing Festival in Lyon to share the experience of introducing Choice-Based Letting system across the United Kingdom. Our CEO, Ninesh Muthiah, and Quality Assurance Officer, Catherine Jones, delivered a CBL presentation (in French) on 5th June in Grenoble to an audience of housing managers and lettings officers from across the Isère department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France.
Catherine spoke on how our CBL system gives more control and transparency for applicants and how local authorities and housing providers can use smart restrictions during the bidding process to filter applicants to their requirements. She also explored other services provided by us and how our innovative solutions, such as HOPE (the HRA software) and Homefinder UK, can support local authorities in homelessness prevention and relief.
Interested in upgrading your Choice-Based Lettings system? Contact us to arrange a demo.
Free seminar: helping Domestic Abuse survivors find new homes
We are organising, through our national mobility scheme, Homefinder UK, FREE seminars to discuss domestic abuse within the housing sector. Starting in Luton, this event will focus on Homefinder UK's latest specialist case management service, Revive, focused on helping relocate domestic abuse survivors to a different area of the country to start a new life without fear.
Attend this seminar to learn how the housing relocation scheme works, how to support and refer complex and sensitive instances of domestic abuse, learn from example households whom Revive/Homefinder UK have assisted in the past. It will also be discussed how projects like Revive work in the context of the forthcoming domestic abuse legislative framework and with national initiatives like DAHA.
FREE Seminar - Domestic Abuse
Date & Time: 11th of June 2019, 10:30 – 13:30
Address: UK Centre for Carnival Arts, 3 St Mary's Road, Luton, LU1 3JA