As the access to open data sources increases, the potential useful information that can be drawn from these sources provides huge opportunities of obtaining new knowledge and understanding.

Ensuring that your services as a housing provider are underpinned by the best possible information from local communities, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that community investments are being allocated where they are most needed.

Combining the availability of open data with a Geographical Information System (GIS) - a process allowing you to interpret and visualise data - adds an extra dimension of understanding that will be of particular use to a housing provider when assessing their stock.

This seminar will look to discuss the advantages that open data can bring, use practical examples of how the housing sector is currently using available GIS systems and will present an opportunity for you to view and demonstrate the newly developed GIS-based tool – Community Insight.

Developed by HACT and Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI), Community Insight provides instant neighbourhood and community profiles for housing providers, drawing on the very latest and most up to date open data sources covering all major social and economic indicators.

Confirmed speakers include:

- Robert Barr – Chairman of Manchester Geomatics and member of the Cabinet Office’s Open Data User Group.

- Tom Smith – CEO at Oxford Consultants for Inclusion

- Matt Leach – CEO at HACT