This document discusses the opportunities and challenges of using social media for community housing providers. It notes that social media allows for new forms of social interaction and can help bridge the digital divide. However, social inequalities may be reproduced online as disadvantaged communities remain excluded. The document outlines a research project examining how housing providers in New South Wales use social media to engage with tenants. It encourages participation in identifying key opportunities and challenges of social media use for community housing through Twitter.

1. The opportunities and challenges
of using social media for
community housing providers
Dr Jenna Condie
Lecturer in Digital Research and Online Social Analysis
E: J.Condie@westernsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @jennacondie
#SoMeSoHousing

2. What is social media?
Flickr: Gongashan
User driven
technologies that
are dominating
the way we now
use the web in our
everyday lives
#SoMeSoHousing

3. What is the impact?
Subsuming other forms
of media and
communication
(Reed, 2014)
Flickr:WesleyFryer
New forms of
social interaction
made possible
#SoMeSoHousing

4. Who speaks, who listens?
Social inequalities
reproduced online
Communities of
social disadvantage
continue to be
excluded, unheard,
and stigmatised
(Carah & Louw,
2015)
Flickr: marsmet541
#SoMeSoHousing

5. What about community
housing?
“Social housing providers are
uniquely placed to take
proactive measures and
design innovative
interventions to begin to
bridge the digital divide.”
(Rose et al., 2014)
“…new virtual media
provides an opportunity
for tenants’ organisations
and lobbyists to
counteract negative
stories of social housing”
(Jacobs et al., 2011)
#SoMeSoHousing

6. What about community
housing?
“The housing sector is at an
early stage of recognising
the potential of social media
to make new connections
which are not limited by
sector boundaries”
(Paul Taylor, 2014)
“Housing organisations still
lag substantially behind both
commercial and charitable
organisations in their social
and digital engagement –
and that the voice of the
resident on social media is
largely missing”
(Anne McCrossan, 2014)

7. Some (un)common practices

8. Our research
How are community housing providers using
(or not using) social media to inform, listen,
and interact with their tenants in New South
Wales?
Literature Review
Social Media Audit
Interviews
Report
Tools
Training
Innovations
Further
Research
#SoMeSoHousing

9. Digital, networked and open
• Advisory panel
• Website* www.somesohousing.com
• Right here, right now…
*it’s a work in progress#SoMeSoHousing

10. In 140 characters:
What do you think are the key
opportunities of using social media
for community housing providers?
#SoMeSoHousing

11. In 140 characters:
What do you think are the key
challenges of using social media
for community housing providers?
#SoMeSoHousing

12. Thank you for your participation
We will blog your responses and post on the
website and share on our social media
channels…and most probably email!
Keep participating…invitation to interview
#SoMeSoHousing

13. The opportunities and challenges
of using social media for
community housing providers
Dr Jenna Condie
Lecturer in Digital Research and Online Social Analysis
E: J.Condie@westernsydney.edu.au
Twitter: @jennacondie
Website: www.somesohousing.com
#SoMeSoHousing