Data Culture in Housing: Why Building Data-Literate Teams is Now a Must

7 November, 2024

Nottingham, UK

We were invited to host a workshop during the annual HouseMark Data & Analytics Summit where the housing sector came together to discuss the most pressing opportunities and challenges.

One thing is clear: there’s no escaping need to optimise the value of data. With tighter regulations and tenant expectations on the rise, using the right data in the right way is the backbone of tenant-centred housing management.

But here’s the reality we face: a lot of housing providers know they should be using data better, but turning that intention into action? That's a tall order.

With recent legislation demanding more, whether it’s the the Social Housing Act, Building Safety Act, or new Consumer Standards, the need for a solid foundation of data literacy and a thriving data culture has never been higher. Let’s unpack how crucial it is for teams to not only have access to data but also know what to do with it.

Facing the data challenge in Housing

Housing is a sector that’s historically struggled with data management, and the reasons are understandable. It’s no secret that many housing providers are juggling massive data silos, skills gaps, and the day-to-day demands of tenant care.

But to meet today’s standards, we need to tackle these challenges head-on:

1. Data silos: Information often sits isolated in different departments. Tenant satisfaction data might be in one system, maintenance in another, and neighborhood feedback somewhere else entirely. The problem? You get an incomplete picture that limits proactive action.
2. Skills gaps: Many housing staff, especially those who directly support tenants, haven’t had the training to feel comfortable with data. They’re often unsure about how to interpret it, which means the organisation becomes overly reliant on a few analysts or data specialists, creating bottlenecks.
3. Fear of getting it wrong: In housing, decisions have direct impacts on people’s lives. There’s a real (and understandable) hesitation around using data to make decisions, particularly if the data doesn’t feel complete or immediately useful.
4. Competing priorities: Meeting immediate tenant needs often takes precedence over investing time and energy in data management and literacy. Yet, neglecting data only keeps us in a reactive cycle, where we’re addressing symptoms instead of root issues.

As much as we’d love a quick fix, these challenges require more than tech upgrades, they demand a cultural shift. And this is where data literacy becomes the foundation for transforming our approach to housing.

The payoff of a data-driven culture in housing

Let’s talk about the payoff. A healthy data culture, one where people trust, understand, and act on data, has the power to unlock real, tangible benefits across the board. When done right, data literacy programmes lead to outcomes that don’t just tick regulatory boxes but make lasting impacts.

1. Improving tenant satisfaction: With the Consumer Standards now in place, tenant satisfaction metrics aren’t optional anymore. They’re a core part of how housing providers will be evaluated. By building a data-driven approach to these metrics, housing providers can quickly identify patterns in tenant feedback and address them proactively. This allows us to anticipate tenant issues based on past data rather than just reacting to complaints.
2. Enhancing safety compliance: Safety is rightly one of the sector’s biggest priorities. The Building Safety Act 2022 mandates better oversight and risk management, particularly for high-risk buildings. A well-developed data culture ensures that critical safety data, like inspection logs, repair schedules, and flagged vulnerabilities, is consistently tracked and easily accessible. When staff understand and trust this data, they can confidently make decisions that keep residents safe.
3. Streamlining operations: Efficient decision-making is the ultimate goal, and this happens when data silos are broken down and information flows freely between departments. For example, linking tenant satisfaction metrics with maintenance data can reveal recurring issues and help prioritise resources. By having a holistic view, housing providers can address operational bottlenecks and improve service delivery.
4. Fostering transparency and accountability: Regulatory bodies and tenants alike expect transparency. With a solid data culture, you don’t just tell tenants you’re working on their behalf, you show them. By making data insights accessible and understandable, housing providers can show that tenant concerns are being taken seriously. This kind of accountability builds trust and strengthens tenant relationships.

Why Data Literacy is a non-negotiable

At the heart of a strong data culture is data literacy. This isn’t just about training people to read numbers. It’s goal is to equip every staff member, from the executive suite to frontline teams, with the skills and confidence to understand, interpret, and act on data.

Here’s why that matters:

• Bridging communication gaps: Often, data experts and front-line staff don’t speak the same language when it comes to data. Miscommunication can slow down decision-making and create frustrations on both sides. A strong data literacy programme brings a common language to the table, making data understandable and actionable for everyone involved.
• Empowering frontline teams: As highlighted in our recent workshop at the Housing Data and Analytics Summit, a data-literate workforce can tackle issues directly, without waiting for specialists to process data for them. This not only saves time but also empowers frontline staff to respond to tenant needs more effectively. And that responsiveness is something tenants will notice.
• Increasing data-driven confidence: When data skills are lacking, hesitation around data use naturally follows. Training programmes designed around actual day-to-day applications can build confidence and make data a tool that staff rely on rather than avoid.
• Supporting Compliance: With new legislation demanding transparency and responsiveness, there’s more pressure than ever to be data-driven. Data literacy makes it easier for everyone to understand, use, and communicate the insights derived from data, ensuring compliance isn’t just checked off but embraced.

Steps to embed Data Literacy

Getting started with data literacy can feel daunting, but here are some tried-and-true steps that we’ve seen make a real difference in housing:

1. Assess skills across the board: First, identify the current data skill level. Knowing where strengths and gaps lie helps tailor training to be relevant and impactful, ensuring the whole team is moving forward. Focus on competency regardless of title, as that’s what is needed to make a real change.
2. Make training practical and relevant: The best education addresses real-world challenges. Focus on showing staff how data can help with the tasks they’re already doing, like tracking repairs or engaging with tenants. This makes training less about theory and more about solving actual problems.
3. Encourage a culture of curiosity: When staff feel free to explore, ask questions, and experiment with data, they learn faster. A culture that values curiosity encourages staff to see data as a friend, not an obligation, and this mindset shift is invaluable.
4. Build cross-functional projects: A data culture isn’t the responsibility of one department. Encourage collaborations between teams, so that data-driven decisions become everyone’s responsibility.
5. Celebrate wins and build momentum: Highlight successes, big or small, to show the real-world impact of data literacy. This kind of positive reinforcement turns data literacy from a requirement into a rewarding experience.

Data literacy is the first step in creating an environment where data insights are accessible, trusted, and actionable at every level of your organisation.

And when you partner with a provider who has built scalable programmes with proven success, you avoid all the risks and pitfalls when trying this on your own. If you feel like your data culture can use some support, we’re here to take it from reactive problem-solving to proactive, tenant-focused decision-making.

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