Ongo named in top 30 digital housing providers

Ongo has been announced as a top housing association by Housing Digital for their approach to offering digital services to customers.

Housing Digital is an online publication for housing professionals to access the latest housing news, issues and to work in partnership with the wider housing industry. They launched the top 30 digital housing providers to identify all of the brilliant work happening across the sector to demonstrate how technology is being used to provide better services for tenants and customers.

Ranking at number 11, Ongo was recognised for accelerating their approach to digital transformation over the last 12 months, whilst achieving positive outcomes to benefit their tenants and customers.

Mat Ashmore, Head of Technology and Innovation, said: “This is such a brilliant achievement for everyone across the business for truly embracing our aim to increase our services digitally.

“Over the next three years, we’re aiming to offer 80% of all our services digitally to our tenants and customers. This will make it much easier and more convenient to access our support and services at a time to suit them. This will be for services across the whole Ongo customer journey.

“Of course, we will still have other methods in place because we recognise digital and being online isn’t right for everyone. And we certainly won’t leave anyone behind.

“We’ve worked closely with our tenants to make sure all our digital services are simple to use, easy to find and that they’re happy with the quality of the service. We will continue to do this because no one knows our services better than our tenants in terms of what is important to them to see us develop next.”

The entry from Ongo focused on how they’ve worked with numerous areas of the business to progress the digital experience for their tenants, including launching an e-sign up process for potential tenants to create a paperless solution. They also talked about involving their tenants in digital decisions, including setting up a Digital Tenant Testers group to give feedback and suggest improvements to the digital services available. An automated telephone payment line has been up and running just over 12 months and has taken 2,106 transactions – saving around 245 hours of work.

Money savings have also been achieved through Ongo’s digital developments, including their rent statements being redesigned and made digital, which will save £15,000 per year.

The awards were open to all housing associations across the country and judging took place by an independent panel of housing professionals and experts. Read more here.