Barking and Dagenham Reside, a housing company wholly owned by Barking and Dagenham Council, has partnered with digital repairs and property management platform EVO to transform its property management and maintenance service.
Reside exists to provide affordable housing, both for rent and for sale, to those who cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market and have limited access to social housing.
The partnership will see EVO take responsibility for the management and delivery of repairs, contractors and documentation relating to the repairs and maintenance process. Residents will be able to report problems at the push of a button via the EVO app to kick-start the repairs process and track the status.
The main drivers behind the pilot are to improve resident experience as well as the speed and quality of repairs, and to build up property service history to help Reside make better more pro-active long-term decisions. Rather than looking back Reside will be able to predict future needs and plan and budget accordingly. EVO’s technology will focus on improving the customer journey and places residents at the heart of one of Reside’s key service areas.
Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, said:
“It’s so important we have good quality homes for our residents and it’s equally important to ensure the maintenance services that come with these homes, such as reporting housing repairs, are accessible and hassle-free. We’re always looking for ways to improve the quality of service – especially taking into consideration feedback from residents. This welcome partnership with EVO will allow tenants to easily report issues and track progress at their fingertips for a more seamless service.”
Steven Rae, chief executive of EVO, said: “We are really pleased to be working with such a forward-thinking organisation such as Reside. They share our goals of
improving the quality of affordable accommodation, whilst building their future strategy around the well-being and happiness of their residents. By embracing digital communication with their residents, in a sector that traditionally has struggled with digital processes and adoption, will put Reside in a great position moving forward and shows what commitment they have towards their residents. We are seeing a marked shift in focus by local authorities keen to improve their customer experience and accelerate their digital transformation and we are proud to be part of this strategy.”
Michael Westbrook, Managing Director of B&D Reside, said: “We are pioneering this new form of affordable housing, providing homes for working people on lower wages, to ensure that no one is left behind in the borough’s regeneration programme. With this in mind, it’s essential that we also provide a positive resident experience, and the digitisation of the repairs process is key to that, especially as our tenants are in employment and need an efficient repairs process that works around their job. EVO’s technology also allows us to gather data that will help us to continue to improve customer experience whilst predicting trends and ultimately budgeting more accurately.”
PHOTO BY EVO
