Housing 21 was Commended in both the Customer Services and Digital Transformation categories at the Housing Technology Awards 2026.
When we set out to rebuild our website, the brief wasn’t simply to modernise a digital platform. Instead, we wanted to fundamentally rethink how digital services could serve our residents better and do so in a way that was inclusive, accessible and shaped by lived experience.
A three-way partnership
We put our residents at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we approached the website project as a partnership between our internal teams, our residents and a digital partner that would be chosen in collaboration with them. We wanted our residents to be active collaborators and decision-makers, not just consultees or merely part of a tick-box exercise.
From the outset, people from our resident engagement groups, alongside others from Housing 21’s retirement and extra-care schemes across the country, helped define what ‘good’ looked like, identified their frustrations with our existing site and explained what they wanted from a new digital experience. Two of our residents also joined our evaluation panel to shortlist potential suppliers, score proposals and contribute to our eventual decision to appoint Spindogs as our digital partner. Their early involvement helped to establish trust and ensured residents’ priorities were embedded before any technical solutions were chosen.
Understanding real-world needs
Involving residents in interviews, focus groups and workshops, as well as discovery sessions led by Spindogs, helped us to understand how our residents were hoping to use the site and where it fell short. These sessions highlighted problems such as confusing navigation, poor document-search capabilities and limited functionality when looking for properties.
Those insights influenced the design and technical requirements of our new website. We simplified the navigation, rebuilt the search functionality and reorganised the content to reflect how users browse and navigate the website, rather than how our organisation is structured or what we ‘think’ users want.
The new website was built on Umbraco 13, selected for its flexibility, accessibility features and ease of content management. Technical development was led by Spindogs, while Housing 21’s marketing and communications team led content creation, testing and design as well as managing development iterations throughout the build.
Testing and development
During user acceptance testing, we worked with residents in our retirement living and extra-care properties as well as remotely, giving as many opportunities as possible for involvement and feedback, and using real-life scenarios to assess the site’s usability. Feedback loops were short and adaptable, allowing us to make improvements continuously
Accessibility was also a key focus, particularly given the older demographic we provide services for and their diverse needs. Independent audits during and following development of the website confirmed full WCAG 2.2 compliance. Features such as alt-text on images, strong colour contrast, readable typography and language translation options were all influenced by residents’ input and testing.
The residents’ feedback was extremely positive. One resident said, “A really enjoyable day and great to be a part of – I was really impressed with the website so far and I can’t wait to see it go live.” Another said, “Congratulations – this is a wonderful example of how capturing residents’ experiences can produce something way beyond the sum of its parts.”
Measurable impact
Residents and prospective residents can now find information more easily, thanks to redesigned navigation, improved search tools and clearer content. The enhanced property search has contributed to a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in property enquiries, offering huge business benefits in addition to those benefits being felt by residents.
Access to key documents has also improved, with brochure downloads increasing by 50 per cent, tenant satisfaction measure (TSM) report downloads up by 230 per cent and resident handbook downloads by 600 per cent. Residents are also using the site more for self-service, reducing the need for direct contact and allowing our teams to work more efficiently.
Internally, the platform has improved operational agility. Colleagues from across Housing 21 worked collaboratively with each other, residents and external agencies in shaping content and structure, helping to align the platform with our values and culture. Our teams can now update content independently without relying on specialists or external support, reducing bottlenecks and improving content quality. Its modern architecture also provides a scalable foundation for future improvements and integrations.
Carina Monnelly-Owen, head of people services, Housing 21, said, “I’m sure all users will have a much better experience. I was particularly impressed with engagement throughout the project and the effort you made to listen to the various areas of the business to agree each page and all the content. This approach not only embodies Housing 21’s values but also exemplifies our collaborative culture.”
A replicable model for the sector
Residents’ feedback highlights a more intuitive, inclusive and enjoyable user experience. And just as importantly, the transparent and collaborative approach we took has strengthened trust, increased positivity among residents and reinforced our commitment to true co-design and digital inclusion.”
While resident engagement is not new in our sector, the depth of involvement in this project, particularly around supplier selection and design decisions, was unusual for a major digital transformation.
Andrew Skinner, head of business development, Spindogs, said, “The Housing 21 project set a new benchmark for resident engagement during a website design project. From interviews and discovery workshops through to testing and feedback, Housing 21’s residents played a hands-on role in shaping the final experience.”
Our approach demonstrates that meaningful co-design is achievable even within fixed timescales, resources and budgets. For us, the project offers a replicable model for future digital initiatives, with residents included as genuine partners. For the wider sector, it provides evidence that inclusive, user-centred design can deliver measurable results while strengthening relationships and trust.
As social housing providers continue to invest in digital transformation, our experience proves that the most effective solutions are built not just with technology expertise but with the people we are building those services for.
Katrina Wilcox is the head of marketing and communications at Housing 21. The housing provider was Commended in both the Customer Services and Digital Transformation categories at the Housing Technology Awards 2026.
