What we currently do
Housing New Zealand does not have a way to capture and store customer information about our customers’ disabilities. We receive some information about customers’ needs at the time that we place them, this has usually been gathered by the Ministry of Social Development during the eligibility assessment process. This information is available in our customer management system, and may be updated over time as we become aware of new information. However, we do not currently systematically update this information or ensure that it provides a full picture of customers’ needs in relation to the properties they live in.
Issues and opportunities
We know there is a current gap in our information for both current and future customers. We need to know trends, demographics and demand information. We are trying to find out what we can through getting more accurate and relevant information about our customers and their needs. Through our Customer Programme we will build our knowledge of customers’ needs.
Next steps
- Review and refine the customer data and information we currently collect.
- Review the relevant initiatives in the Customer Programme to check we are getting the right data and information from the initiatives.
- Investigate other disability data collection options.
What we currently do
Housing New Zealand currently has no way to identify the accessibility features of our properties. We record whether it has been modified (any funded modification to the property for example, installation of a grab rail), but that does not tell us if it is accessible. This means that when placing customers into properties there is a risk that the property might not be suitable for a customer’s needs.
Issues and opportunities
In order to better meet customers’ needs we need to be able to identify which homes have accessibility features. We also need this information to see how we are performing against our new build target. This will mean a change to our systems and processes.
Next steps
- Work with the business to ensure that accessibility features of properties are comprehensively documented and updated.
We will know we are successfully delivering against this outcome when
- We can identify the home that best matches a customer’s accessibility needs.
- We can monitor performance against a target at a regional and typology level.