Internet services and devices have become lifelines in our modern society, allowing individuals to utilize essential services, attend school, work remotely, visit healthcare providers virtually, connect with loved ones, stay informed, and access all of the opportunities and resources that the digital world offers. However, in 2022, approximately 24% of American households—31.1 million—did not have wireline broadband access.*
As our world’s reliance on technology continues to grow bridging the digital divide becomes more and more critical. The digital divide, or the gap between those who have consistent access to modern information and communications networks, technology, and devices and those who do not, disproportionately affects low-income households. PHAs are uniquely well-positioned to help bridge the digital divide given that they house and provide services to some of our nation’s lowest-income and most disconnected families.
Unfortunately, there are still many barriers—often rooted in lack of funding—related to broadband infrastructure, affordability of high-speed internet, and technical training that PHAs must surmount in order to facilitate digital connections for their residents.
Read more in our publication Connecting Hope: How Public Housing Authorities Bridge the Digital Divide!
*Source: National Digital Inclusion Alliance's 2022 American Community Survey. Wireline broadband includes DSL, cable, or fiber connections.
Learn More about Local Digital Connectivity Funding & Resources: Contact Your State's Broadband Director
Today, everything from education to healthcare, employment, and social connection hinges on an individual's access to a reliable broadband connection. In the hope that our members are as well-positioned as possible to help provide their residents with internet access, CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative has created a comprehensive list of each state's broadband director(s) and their contact information. If you are looking to implement digital access for your residents or enhance services you already offer, reaching out to your state broadband director is a great place to start to learn about resources—including funding—available to your PHA.
The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) is one of the leading housing authorities in the field of digital connectivity, offering several services to residents to improve digital inclusion. Eight years ago, HACA identified that their residents were missing out on the many online services and opportunities due to the digital divide – that is, the gap between those who have consistent access to modern information and communications networks, technology, and devices and those who do not.
Published in November 2022, Connecting Hope: How Public Housing Authorities Bridge the Digital Dividediscusses the current landscape of the digital divide, efforts to advance digital connectivity at the federal level, and Housing Is’ past, current, and future advocacy work in this space on behalf of public housing authorities and the low-income families they serve. The publication also highlights examples of how PHAs are leading efforts in their communities to provide internet access, devices, digital literacy training, and technological support for their residents. Most importantly, Connecting Hope offers several policy and funding recommendations to federal decision makers and stakeholders that would help PHAs continue to connect their residents to the digital world and address challenges that housing authorities have faced in doing so.
The Role of Housing Is in Digital Connectivity Advocacy
Housing Is works to broaden and deepen efforts to align housing, education, and health organizations to produce positive long-term outcomes for those experiencing poverty, and our efforts to help bridge the digital divide for low-income families are integral to every aspect of this life-improving work.
Through frequent, compelling communication and connection with PHAs, their local partners, federal agencies, Congress, internet service providers, and other stakeholders, we have strongly supported PHAs’ efforts to advance digital connectivity for the low-income households they serve and advocated for the tools and resources they need to undertake this critical work of connecting their residents to the digital world. Our digital connectivity-focused work includes:
You can also click here to watch a webinar site tour that shows CLPHA members how to create website accounts for themselves and provides an overview of the site's functionality.
