Housing Is Digital Equity

Why Is Advancing Digital Equity Important?

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, achieving digital equity and bridging the digital divide for disadvantaged populations 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 and contributes to racial inequities that have long plagued Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) communities. These racial disparities in access to high speed internet and devices are underscored by research from Tufts University and the Patterson Foundation which shows that while 80% of white families with income of $50,000 or higher have high speed internet access, only 69% of non-white families with incomes of $100,000 or higher have access to high speed internet. This lack of reliable, affordable access contributes to setting Black and Hispanic individuals behind in education, employment, and connecting with community—thus, efforts towards advancing digital equity also crucially address racial inequities.

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. Furthermore, because the households that PHAs serve are predominantly comprised of BIPOC individuals, PHAs’ work to bridge the digital divide also addresses racial inequities that are exacerbated by unreliable, unaffordable, or insufficient access to vital online services. PHAs are committed to advancing racial equity in their communities, and advancing digital equity is a crucial component of that mission.

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 recent 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 Equity 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.

State Broadband Directors & Contact Information

Featured Case Study

Unlocking the Connection: How the Housing Authority of the City of Austin Has Tackled the Digital Divide

1.26.23

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) is one of the leading housing authorities in the field of digital equity, 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 Divide discusses the current landscape of the digital divide, efforts to advance digital equity 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.

Read Our Digital Equity Publication

The Role of Housing Is in Digital Equity 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 equity 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 equity-focused work includes:

Providing Technical Assistance to PHAs

We disseminate digital equity resources, facilitate peer learning, and offer connections to partner organizations’ research and tools via webinars, conference sessions, grant funding, synthesis of other programs and funding opportunities.

Offering Policy Analysis and Recommendations

We have long provided feedback to the Federal Communications Commission, HUD, and Congress on federal digital equity initiatives and funding opportunities including ConnectHome USA, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, the Affordable Connectivity Program, the ACP grant program, and the Your Home, Your Internet pilot program. We advise federal policymakers on how to improve efforts to bridge the digital divide and meet PHAs’ needs in this area.

Facilitating Connections to Digital Literacy and Devices

We partner with national and local community organizations to promote and share best practices around teaching digital literacy and securing free or low-cost devices for low-income individuals.

Addressing Infrastructure Concerns

PHAs often face practical challenges in bringing internet connections into public housing units due to the advanced age of many PHAs’ buildings; for example, many PHAs have decades-old properties made with cinder block walls that hinder the strength and reach of Wi-Fi hotspots. We advocate to policymakers for more resources and funding to address these barriers to providing high-speed internet access in older properties, including strongly urging Congress to allocate appropriate funding for PHAs to address their massive capital needs backlogs.

Considering Alternative Financing Models

Recognizing that resources are needed to engage in digital equity efforts, we continue to research and synthesize different funding options that would help PHAs provide digital access to their residents, such as internet being included as a utility allowance. We engage in advocacy through discussions with legislators and federal agencies around funding for devices and internet service, as well as increasing capacity at PHAs to help residents get connected. We also initiate and strengthen partnerships not only with national private-sector companies such as Google Fiber and other ISPs, but also local organizations and communities.

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The Latest News on CLPHA Members’ Digital Equity Work

7.13.23

Pew Article Outlines Perils of Congress Failing to Continue Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program 

7.12.23

Opportunity Home San Antonio Wi-Fi program evolves to help with digital literacy, device distribution

7.10.23

With Help from FCC Grant, INLIVIAN Is Crossing the Digital Divide

5.17.23

Mayor Fulop & Housing Authority Launch Initiative to Close Digital Divide in Jersey City, Bringing Affordable Home Internet to 10,000+ Low-income Households

From the City of Jersey City's press release:

Today, Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA), in partnership with EveryoneOn and the City of Jersey City, announced a new initiative to close the digital divide in Jersey City. With a nearly $500,000 grant from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), the initiative, led by JCHA, will build awareness about the $14 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a long-term federal benefit that will help lower the cost of broadband service and help low-income families afford home internet service.

The ACP provides eligible households with a $30 per month discount toward their home internet bill and a one-time $100 discount toward a connected device through a participating provider. At this time in Jersey City, only 37% of eligible households have applied for the benefit due to a lack of awareness, lack of trust in the program, or inability to enroll due to application barriers.

The JCHA’s public outreach project will at least double ACP subscription rates across Jersey City by deploying 12 digital navigators to conduct outreach and offer application support to eligible households at community events throughout the year. Applications to fill the 12 digital navigator positions are now being accepted online, with priority for Jersey City Housing Authority residents.

“In our digital inclusion efforts over the last four years, we have learned that face-to-face and often oneon-one support is vital to removing barriers low-income households face in obtaining affordable, highspeed internet, low-cost devices, or gaining essential digital literacy skills,” said Allison Strobel, Director of Resident Empowerment and Community Engagement at JCHA. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity via this FCC grant to hire, train, and activate digital navigators to promote the ACP and provide direct support to the more than 20,000 Jersey City households who are eligible for the ACP subsidy but have yet to access it.”

A key component of the initiative will be the creation of a unique public-private partnership that will work to close the broadband affordability gap by promoting ACP enrollment to eligible households. A recent report from the national nonprofit EducationSuperHighway highlighted that approximately 28 million of the 123 million households in the U.S. do not have high-speed broadband. Eighteen million of these households, home to 47 million people, are offline because they cannot afford an available internet connection.

The broadband affordability gap is concentrated in Jersey City’s underserved communities and disproportionately impacts people of color, older adults, and low-income households.

“This is the latest step in our collective efforts to close the digital divide, especially throughout our underserved communities. With this latest initiative, we are focusing on making more Jersey City residents aware of the much-needed benefits they may be eligible for and engaging our trusted community partners to support outreach by JCHA’s digital navigators,” Mayor Fulop said of the public outreach program.

Read the City of Jersey City's press release.

4.18.23

Partnership aims to bridge the digital divide in Cuyahoga Falls (Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority)