The Reinvention of Social Housing

3: Community Networks in The Digital Age

Can close-knit, physical communities even exist anymore - or are

people migrating more and more to digital by default with each

generation?

How can we shift from service provider to community builders?

Communities are the primary inventors in a democracy. Citizens are the producers of the future - @CormacRussell

Questions we askedWe hear a lot about 'Government as a platform' but what would

happen if we thought of our organisations in the same way?

What if we enabled people to reclaim communities spaces with our

organisations providing the digital platforms that link health housing

care and other vital services?

Our thoughtsThe proliferation of apps , tenant portals and websites

is creating a complex digital landscape. Are we

rebuilding our physical silos in the digital space?

We need a new network of spaces with community

builders who act as connectors and enablers . A role

that facilitates community facilitators.

Could these be enhanced with digital assistants or

navigators to help people through the complex web of

public services?

Model One: Community Builder Spaces

A space on every street corner - available to the whole community.

Provides space, skills and tools the local community wants.

A new network established to link places designed to inspire.

A vehicle for both digital inclusion, social inclusion and creativity.

Model Two: Digital Navigator

There are plenty of community building tools, readily available. But many of these are monetized somehow, so the code is not open source and is difficult to integrate with another product.

We could provide one such app, or simply an open source ‘navigator’ that helps people find the right services for them.

This virtual navigator would be complemented by real-life support in Community Builder Spaces.

Model Three: Community Reward

Reward those individuals who share their skills and resources with the community

with ‘credits’ or a cryptocurrency like bitcoin

Credits can be used in exchange for other services or goods at certain shops

Uses transactional reward as a gateway for change

This also fits with idea of housing and care credits discussed in session two