Five digital housing tips for 2026

What we've learnt from recent transformations

Mark Holdsworth, sales director, Civica

Throughout 2025 we worked on a whole host of transformation projects with housing associations across the UK. We faced some common challenges, such as how can we integrate crossover services, how can we get the best out of the data we have available, or how can we reduce our compliance burden? This usually involved replacing legacy systems with more agile, automated and adaptable technologies that were built to unlock new efficiencies and make budgets go further in these increasingly challenging times.

Now, looking back at the last year, I wanted to summarise five key learnings from across the transformations we’ve supported. They should serve well as an essential reference for any new digital projects planned for the year ahead.

1. Put yourself in the end-user’s shoes and design backwards from there

Always begin by building an understanding of the problem from the perspective of the people that will be using a service, whether that’s tenants, applicants or staff. In one recent transformation, a large housing association came to us having noticed that its fragmented systems were creating frustrating barriers for both customers and colleagues. For tenants, there was no way to self-serve, report repairs or manage their tenancy out of office hours, while staff struggled to connect data streams needed to respond adequately to tenant requests.

The solution was to build a flexible cloud platform with a built-in self-service portal so that the association could give customers 24/7 access to essential services. It also meant that staff could access tools via their mobiles and work from anywhere. This resulted in much faster response times, reduced manual workloads and a more empowered customer base, demonstrating that technology-led transformation must begin with real-world user journeys, not system specifications.

2. Data is a strategic asset - use it

Every organisation now understands that better data means better decisions, but housing providers are generally behind the curve when it comes to the systems they need to unlock that value. Another project we worked on involved the challenge of getting deeper insight into stock condition, energy performance and long-term investment needs to keep up with new regulatory standards.

The existing system was built internally and could manage repairs and maintenance fine, but it wasn’t able to process or analyse the energy efficiency data needed for compliance or carbon reduction planning. We worked closely in creating a modern, analytics-driven asset management platform that could model different improvement scenarios, forecast costs and carbon savings, and support strategic investments across the full housing stock. This level of data capability improved compliance readiness and gave the council real-time visibility over how things were performing.

The learning? Transformation must unlock data, not just store it. To do so, the technology you use will need to be capable of working across multiple datasets, provide automated reporting, trend analysis and forecasting, and give a single pane of glass view. This is the best way to improve your data maturity, which is the backbone of modern compliance, financial planning and service improvement.

3. Cloud-based systems win on security, resilience and scalability

It shouldn’t be news to anyone that cloud-based platforms offer enhanced security, superior tooling, rapid deployment, lower infrastructure overheads and the flexibility needed for hybrid working. They reduce risk, simplify compliance and ensure that systems have the room to grow and evolve as the organisation does.

In fact, in 2026 there should not be any housing association system that is not in the cloud, or at least in plan for a migration. However, the reality is that there are in fact plenty of social housing systems that are deeply embedded in both on-premise legacy systems and in staff behaviours and ways of working.

Budgets are of course the most limiting factor, so a digital strategy should look at incremental changes along a roadmap towards full cloud. At the same time, make a plan for bringing people with you, as the quicker that users are familiarised with a new system, the quicker that the benefits can be felt.

4. Don’t just digitise, redesign

The most successful transformations combine technology updates with operational change. It’s a chance to completely rethink and usually unknot an established process.

We worked with an association that was having issues with its allocation workflows. They would receive thousands of housing applications each year, but the time and resources spent manually processing forms was becoming a significant challenge. The old system required workarounds and manual data input, and this always risked errors and inefficiencies.

It didn’t just need a technical fix; it required a rethink of how the entire allocations systems should be defined. By redesigning the system from scratch, we could introduce band-based prioritisation via online forms that could then be automatically triaged through a new housing options process. Now, only the most relevant applications are submitted, so it’s much simpler and more efficient.

What used to take 15 minutes to process manually is now automated. Most importantly, applicants no longer need to wait weeks for their decision; they will have it within 48 hours. This has an enormously positive impact on applicants that are worried about their housing arrangements. It has also saved thousands of pounds in the process, so it’s a win-win that’s says don’t be afraid to rip it up and start again.

5. Partnerships mean problem solving

In an environment where legislation, expectations and financial pressures continually shift, the right partner is as important as the right product. Experienced consultants with deep understanding of housing operations are able to advise not just on configuration, but on business change, data quality, user adoption and long-term strategy. Make sure that they can offer sector-specific software choices and provide long-term roadmaps aligned with emerging regulations.

For any housing association looking at their digital strategy for 2026, the real hallmarks of success are in the willingness to rethink processes, an investment in making data work for you, empowering the end-users and collaborating with trusted partners.