Empowering Social Housing: Transforming Communities Through Innovative Technology - A Deep Dive into the TECH Programme Evaluation

The TECH programme, funded by the Scottish Government, has been instrumental in revolutionising social housing through the adoption of innovative technology solutions. The programme focuses on key areas such as rural connectivity, healthier homes, and smart monitoring to enhance the quality of life for tenants and improve service delivery by housing providers.

One of the core objectives of the TECH programme is to support housing providers in transitioning from analogue to digital solutions. By testing innovations, facilitating service design and co-production, digitally upskilling the workforce, and promoting the uptake of digital communication tools like Near Me, the programme empowers housing organizations to embrace digital transformation effectively.

The success of the pilot programmes within the TECH programme is evaluated through various impact measures. These include conducting wellbeing surveys, collecting social impact data, analyzing pre and post support data, evaluating economic benefits, and assessing the level of intervention enabled by technology implementations. Through these measures, the programme aims to gather comprehensive data on the impact of technology solutions on tenants and make informed decisions for future implementations.

Overall, the TECH programme has demonstrated significant value in enhancing social housing outcomes, improving tenant wellbeing, and driving efficiency savings for housing providers and wider society. By leveraging technology to address key challenges in social housing, the programme is paving the way for a more connected, efficient, and sustainable housing sector that prioritizes the needs of tenants and communities.