Mixed Living, residents who live with and collaborate with highly vulnerable people

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Mixed Living, residents who live with and collaborate with highly vulnerable people

Tussenvoorziening

Mixed social housing blocks of flats where homeless and economically vulnerable people live together, which is beneficial for both groups. It facilitates access to housing more quickly for many people while the community activities carried out in the buildings promote social reintegration and break down the social isolation and stigmatisation of homeless people.

Mixed Living is a form of housing in which 70% of the people who live there are on low incomes and in need of social housing and the remaining 30% are people who are vulnerable, usually homeless people who are beneficiaries of the Housing First programme. Both parties must comply with the previously established conditions of commitment and rules, mainly regarding the care of the environment they share. Participating in this social accompaniment programme is advantageous for people in the first group, reducing their waiting time for access to social housing.

It is also clearly favourable for homeless people —and not only, because the programme is also aimed at people with a lack of social network or psychological problems— for whom the contact and cohabitation with other residents facilitates their social reintegration. In this sense, the shared housing enables proximity between the two groups with common meeting spaces that make it easier for them to have coffee, watch a football match or look after the courtyard. The project is supervised by professionals who visit the block of flats at least once a week and are responsible for assessing and managing the functioning of the cohabitation.

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Mano, an app for social professionals working on the streets and in shelters

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Mano, an app for social professionals working on the streets and in shelters

Associació AURORE

Free app that facilitates and helps to improve the work of public service professionals working with vulnerable people, on the street and in sheltered areas.

Mano is a freely accessible application for smartphones that allows workers to continuously and closely monitor the people they follow during reception procedures and activities. It also has a web interface for computers. It thus makes it possible to complete and consult the medical-social files of these people, avoiding the loss of information and the need to constantly renew it. In addition, it also allows workers and their respective teams to have all tasks grouped together –those already carried out and planned– and to be alerted to future deadlines and commitments. It also automatically generates anonymous statistics and reports.

All of this guarantees the protection of the data of the people accompanied, which are encrypted and only the people who form part of the monitoring team have access to them. In fact, Mano’s functionalities have been specially conceived and designed by the users who use them and, for this reason, the tool is constantly being improved. The users have been trained by Mano, both on the streets and in the reception areas, as well as in telephone assistance.

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Résorption-bidonvilles, the digital platform to accelerate slum upgrading and integration in France

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Résorption-bidonvilles, the digital platform to accelerate slum upgrading and integration in France

Résorption-bidonvilles, Dihal (Interministerial Delegation of Acommodation and Access to Housing)

Information, exchange and management platform promoted by the French government to effectively accelerate the improvement and integration of slums, known in French as bidonvilles. Through this tool, citizens can report on the situation in these neighbourhoods, administrations can follow the progress of the actions being carried out and associations can collaborate in improving the living conditions of their inhabitants. 


This online platform –which is simple, agile and adaptable to the needs of each user– was born out of the realisation that in recent decades, in France, slums have reappeared, where precarious people live in housing that does not meet hygiene and sanitation standards and where basic services (access to water, access to sanitary facilities, waste disposal, etc.) are largely absent. There are currently more than 300 slums in the French Metropolitan Area, where more than 16,000 people live. The social marginalisation of the population living there is alarming: lack of schooling, non-participation in the labour market, neglect and discrimination of all kinds, among others.

The platform aims to transform public action and create a collaborative dynamic, connecting various actors –public administrations involved, landowners, associations that intervene with the inhabitants– that can help to improve precarious neighbourhoods, both at the level of decision-making and implementation. Access to the platform is open, but requests are validated by local administrators. Moreover, actors who have access to the platform can only consult information and report on interventions concerning the territory in which they are registered. Only users registered at the national level –ministries, central administrations or national associative partners– can consult all the data.

However, it is a tool with a global approach that combines social integration, respect for public order and the prevention of resettlement. In this sense, the platform makes the situation of the inhabitants of the bidonvilles visible –although no personal data is ever shared– and strengthens the power of action of each actor on the ground. It also makes it possible to draw up action plans and interventions, facilitate coordination between actors and measure and promote the results of the actions carried out.

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Simulateur Aides Sociales, a tool that informs citizens of the social aids

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Simulateur Aides Sociales, a tool that informs citizens of the social aids

Beta.gouv.fr, CNIL, CAF, Assurance maladie, Agefiph, Pôle Emploi, Assurance retraite, Crous, Anah, Anil

A fast and efficient tool that informs the French population about the social assistance they are entitled to receive. Powered by several public and private actors and with an individualized online service, the simulator estimates to users the assistance benefits that are due to each of them.


The Simulateur Aides Sociale was born out of the realization that a large part of French citizens are unaware of the many social systems and benefits –both national and local– to which they are entitled and from which they can benefit. In France, billions of euros of social assistance do not find beneficiaries, either due to lack of awareness, demand or receipt, resulting in the loss of considerable income per household. The simulator, launched by the French government and in partnership with various associations and companies in the technology sector, aims to combat the high rate of non-appeals for social assistance by informing and guiding among the many existing aids.

It is a free tool that enhances the rights to social assistance of each person with a very simple and effective operation. With guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality of information, each user is asked to answer a few questions about family and professional life. Then, in a few minutes, the simulator classifies more than 1,000 social systems and lists the benefits available to each person according to their personal situation. Once the user is aware of the benefits, the relevant claims can be made and the financial aid can be received.

The benefits available in the simulator are grouped according to their function (health, housing, transport, professional integration, family, etc.) and are both national and departmental, depending on the place of residence entered by the user. However, it should be borne in mind that the result obtained from the simulation is indicative and does not guarantee that the user will end up receiving the aid, as only the organization empowered to grant it can decide whether the user is actually eligible.

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Able4Work, a digital tool to support the integration of vulnerable young people into the labour market

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Able4Work, a digital tool to support the integration of vulnerable young people into the labour market

Probens, SeaTeach, DanmarComputers, Knowl, Multitudei Gävle AB, Werkstatt-Berufskolleg

Able4Work is the digital tool that facilitates the process of finding a job for young people who are often in a situation of social vulnerability. It is designed for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and aims to offer them support and accompaniment during the complex stages of their job search. In this way, it helps them to redirect their present and future socio-labour situation, facilitating interaction and contact with social workers.

It is an online platform and functional app, available and free to use for both mentors and interested users. It offers support in the process of searching for employment or educational programmes, adapting to the needs of vulnerable young people. Thus, it is mainly aimed at young people between 18 and 35 years old in a situation of social vulnerability -new immigrants, ethnic minorities, economic problems, etc.- and, consequently, at risk of social exclusion. The app also targets mentors and youth workers who implement the socio-occupational and educational insertion programmes digitally and partially remotely, offering support, advice and guidance to vulnerable young people.

Able4Work works in a way that allows young users to easily interact with the social workers and mentors assigned to them –including a chat– and social workers to better follow up and monitor tasks. In addition, the digital tool allows young people to constantly monitor the phases and progress of their pathway –with a calendar showing guidance actions and pending tasks– and to receive notifications about job and educational possibilities. In this way, it increases the autonomy of programme participants and promotes the value of self-responsibility among young people in the job search process.

Finally, the app has gamification elements that make it interactive and engaging, which motivates young people to meet the objectives of their pathways. As a result, the app Able4work reduces the high drop-out rates of Youth Guarantee programmes, improving their efficiency and success.

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Gavius, a virtual assistant for the processing of social assistance applications

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Gavius, a virtual assistant for the processing of social assistance applications

Gavà City Council

Intelligent assistant that provides information to citizens about the social assistances available to them, and at the same time facilitates its processing in a convenient, fast and simple way. It is based on a user-friendly application, which allows digital identification through biometric recognition, and automates the process of applying for aid and subsequent collection.

The Gavius project aims to contribute to moving towards more proactive and innovative social services, adapting technologies to the needs of individuals and social professionals. The assistant is accessible both to potential beneficiaries who identify themselves in the application, as well as to social services and citizen care professionals, for whom it provides support when granting and processing social assistance.


Gavius is an example of joint work between companies, citizens, administration and research centers. Thanks to a model based on machine learning, the application is able to adapt to the casuistry of each person and simplify and streamline the bureaucratic processes of the social services of local administrations.

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Park4Dis, making it easier for people with reduced mobility to find a parking space

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Park4Dis, making it easier for people with reduced mobility to find a parking space

Park4Dis

Digital platform for the management and access to parking spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility.

It is a free webapp that offers users the location of parking spaces for people with reduced mobility. Once the space is located it directs to the place through GoogleMaps. It also informs about the specific rules of each municipality that apply to people with disabilities, and shows the restricted traffic zones of each municipality. The application also allows offline use by downloading maps.

Park4Dis has registered more than 39,000 parking spaces in Spain for people with reduced mobility, located in 230 different municipalities. To obtain information on existing spaces, it relies on the collaboration of local social entities and volunteers who help to map them. The service also works with public institutions, vIt is an approach aimed at changing the paradigm from smart cities to smart human cities.

Park4Dis was born from the difficulty that people with reduced mobility often have in finding the location of reserved parking spaces, in addition to the lack of knowledge of the regulations by many municipalities. That is why its transversality allows to gather all the information in a single App, promoting accessible and interurban mobility.

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JUS-APP, portable technology solution for municipal social workers

Publications Bank of innovations

JUS-APP, portable technology solution for municipal social workers

Hamburg City Council

Mobile application for municipal social workers of the Hamburg City Council (Germany) that allows them to automatically perform administrative tasks and access data of the persons served while they are at the person’s home, fulfilling all legal requirements of the municipal administration, including forms and checklists.

The application is connected to the municipal system JUS-IT in real time, which has different functionalities to simplify daily administrative tasks and make your work more attractive. Among others, it includes the automated management of alimony and social benefits, saving time for social workers and making their work more efficient. In addition, it is connected to other specialized procedures, such as police reports, providing fast, networked, results-oriented management.

The application, based on Cúram Software, also allows capturing details of meetings, such as audio or video recording of user interviews or home visits, and automated pre-filling of forms.

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The Access Hub, a multi-institutional support center for homeless people

Publications Bank of innovations

The Access Hub, a multi-institutional support center for homeless people

Simon Community

An innovative multi-institutional counseling and support center for homeless people. It is a space designed to ensure that users feel that their well-being is a priority and to make it easier for them to obtain the accompaniment and support they need.

The key to the center is the participation of more than 20 organizations, all of which offer their services under one roof. This removes many bureaucratic barriers that often hinder access to critical services. In addition, the organizations’ partners are in contact and work more efficiently, offering solutions with multiple viewpoints, even in the most difficult circumstances. Users can access more than 40 supports provided by a wide range of experts, from financial and legal support, to digital, health or wellness advice.

Just walking into the building, the user meets a person instead of a reception desk. The goal is to offer a space of connection and tranquility, giving a welcoming and comfortable feeling to ensure a safe and comfortable place. To achieve this feeling, the space has high quality furniture and finishes. Colors are chosen in a way that is not over the top, but with originality and awareness.

The center hopes to break the mold of the usual service delivery by offering a space that is easily accessible, modern and adapted to the needs of the users.

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Cozy Cloud, accessible technology for digitally illiterate people

Publications Bank of innovations

Cozy Cloud, accessible technology for digitally illiterate people

CEMEA

Personal data platform for digitally illiterate people, especially the elderly and people from low-income households. It aims to solve their digital exclusion through a digital channel that is close and very easy to use.

It offers users an intelligent and decentralised data storage system, which allows secure control of one’s own data. Cozy brings together several services (storage applications, bank aggregator, password, contact and photo manager) and data, simplifying use with simple and easy-to-use functions: direct links to share a folder or document, password management with automatic generation of strong passwords, automatic online data retrieval with a simple click, alerts and help to monitor the budget, etc.

The user has a USB key with which he can open his Cozy digital home from any computer. The content of this key is systematically synchronised to the user’s digital home. The USB key physically symbolises the possession of their data (and also, for certain groups, the security of not running the risk of losing a photo, a letter, a diploma… the only witnesses of their history), although it will of course be kept in a cloud. The password is really just the simplified access key to your personal space, inaccessible without a password. The browser – Firefox – is installed and configured to the key and therefore the user does not leave any personal data (cookie, browsing history, etc.) on the computer where he/she enters the key to access his/her personal space.

It includes Cozy Cloud, a data storage service in the cloud that preserves privacy and allows automatic import of your own documents, such as invoices, online purchases or bank details (Cozy Collect), access to documentation from any synchronised device (Cozy Drive) and a backup copy of photographs available when you need them (Cozy Photos).

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