The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) honored the Seattle Housing Authority with a 2020 Award of Merit for its Digital Initiative.

NAHRO’s award was given in the Administrative Innovation category, which recognizes programs that improve the efficiency or effectiveness of administrative operations or the general functioning of the agency/organization and creates a resource bank of information performed by housing and redevelopment agencies and community development departments. 

To increase the convenience and efficiency of engaging with the agency, and to help close the digital divide for its low-income tenants, SHA launched a comprehensive Digital Initiative in mid-2018.

A significant challenge at the outset was the lack of digital contact information on file. Because SHA didn’t have an agency-wide, cohesive strategy for digital communication with tenants, and didn’t consistently capture email and mobile phone contact information for tenants and applicants, the agency was limited in its ability to communicate with tenants and applicants in a timely way via efficient, commonly and widely used technologies. Because there was no systematic way to collect and update the information, SHA could not effectively use email or texting to reach tenants and applicants.

The agency addressed this and other digital divide challenges by forming a cross-departmental Digital Initiative Steering Committee to develop strategies, provide broad oversight to digital initiatives and get the most out of proposed technologies as they are developed over the foreseeable future. The group established three subgroups: Data Collection, Digital Equity and Emergency Communications.

The first digital issue of The Voice, which replaced a formerly printed newspaper for tenants launched in January 2019, achieving one of the agency’s objectives in increasing digital communications. The e-newsletter enables interactivity not possible in print, such as easy-to-use direct links to a host of resources, and tenants can easily translate the content into dozens of languages, enlarge text, forward content to others and engage with the editor. Content from The Voice is also posted to the agency’s website.

SHA partners with the City of Seattle Information Technology department and other agencies to further its objective of ensuring SHA tenants have equitable access to technology. Internet connectivity and digital skills are increasingly necessary to conduct business, access medical care and other services, conduct banking, obtain jobs, take advantage of educational opportunities and much more in life. For families with children in school, being digitally connected is especially important to their academic and social success.

In 2019, SHA began installing Wi-Fi in the lobbies and community rooms of 61 of SHA’s properties, enabling residents to access free internet service.

SHA plans to roll out an emergency electronic notification system for tenants in the future. The system potentially could improve life and safety during emergencies such as power outages, fires, and earthquakes or other natural disasters. Text would be used for urgent messaging such as a gas leak or elevator outage versus email which could be used for less-urgent issues. 

Digital communications are more effective, improve operations, support better customer service and provide cost savings. In addition, by helping to close the digital divide that leaves people with low incomes even further behind in life, opportunities increase for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning and access to essential services. 

While SHA recognizes not everyone is online and continues to maintain alternatives to digital communication, the Digital Initiative is touching almost all of the agency’s programs, and digital strategies are becoming embedded in daily practices and operations.