Social housing exists to help people struggling to make their rental or mortgage payments – which includes around 16.6% of the population in the UK.
People living in social housing need assurance that they will have a decent quality of life and that their safety is a priority.
Access control is the foundation of any residential security strategy. Keep reading to learn how access control is being used to improve social housing security.
Using Cloud-Based Systems To Improve Oversight
On-premise multi-family residential security solutions are quickly being replaced with cloud-based alternatives, such as wireless security cameras for apartment buildings. Cloud-based access control permeates the security sphere due to its convenience and agility in security management.
In social housing security, cloud-based access control allows security professionals to manage security remotely using a mobile application or cloud-based control centre. This means that single security units can manage security for multiple properties simultaneously. They can unlock and lock entrance doors, check door lock status, and view access records.
Lockpicking makes the use of traditional locks unviable in a social housing environment – it leaves residents vulnerable. With a cloud-based access control system, tenants can use keycards, fobs, or mobile credentials to enter the building. Opting for mobile access credentials allows you to reduce the use of keycards and fobs, which can incur hefty costs if they need replacing often.
With mobile credentials, users can enter the building quickly – crucial in high-crime areas where residents may be vulnerable when entering the complex. The user can simply wave their hand over the access control reader, triggering remote communication with their mobile device to unlock the door.
The reader uses three modes of communication (cellular, BlueTooth, and WiFi) to ensure no failure and permit entry on the first attempt. This entry mode is hygienic, convenient, and safer for those living in high-crime areas.
Implementing Visitor Management Software For Easy Check-In
Although property managers need to ensure that their social housing buildings are secure, they also need to ensure that residents can easily have guests visit them. A visitor management system allows visitors to check in using their mobile devices to enter the building. The system will grant them temporary access credentials to enter the building without assistance, making the process more convenient.
By digitising and automating the visitor management process, you stand to gain the following benefits:
More reliable logs of who is inside the building will be invaluable in a security investigation or evacuation procedures.
You won’t need to hire door or reception staff to keep accurate and reliable visitor records.
Visitor management is integral to building safety and security – your residents must know that every visitor has been verified and logged before entering the building.
Integrating Access Control And Video Security For Identity Verification
One of the major flaws with any access control method is the potential for an unauthorised individual to steal access credentials and use them to enter the building without permission.
For this reason, many social housing building managers use integrated access control and video security to implement identity verification. This benefit only comes with cloud-based access control and video surveillance systems, as cloud-based technologies have open API integrations.
By integrating the two tools, building security staff would be able to gather intelligence from two different sources, correlating timestamps to verify the identity of a user in line with the credentials they are using. Integrating both tools allows both data sets to be visible on a single user interface for easier retrieval and analysis.
In addition to integrating both tools, building security staff can apply facial recognition software to automate this process and ensure the identity of each user is verified upon entry and that they are using their access credentials.
Using Wellness Verification Software For Health And Safety
Since the beginning of the pandemic, health and safety have been front of mind for security professionals. Residents in multifamily properties need assurance that their health and safety is protected in their building.
To ensure the health and safety of residents, many social security property managers are implementing wellness verification software integrated with access control. The software provides residents and guests with surveys to fill out on their mobile devices based on their symptoms.
If the guest is symptomatic, the system will block their access to the building. If a resident is symptomatic, the system will advise them to self-isolate once inside the building.
Providing health and safety measures is in the best interest of all building residents and shows that property management has their health top of mind.
Summary
Access control is revolutionising multi-family property security, meaning social housing is becoming safer and more convenient for residents. With cloud-based access control technologies, property managers are making buildings more health and safety oriented, improving the user experience, and providing more convenient and manageable security processes.