Affordable Housing is a persistent problem in America that’s caused by numerous factors including wage stagnation, gentrification, and a lack of investment in public housing. Large cities are especially tough to live in due to high living costs leaving millions of Americans reliant on government housing programs to provide safe living conditions for their families.
Government HUD initiatives like Housing Choice Vouchers and Housing Economic and Community Development programs have long played a vital role in providing affordable housing, but timely and efficient disbursement of funds has been a long-standing issue that is reaching critical levels in many places, sometimes leaving our most vulnerable population at risk.
In this post we will explore why we believe government housing executives and teams should leverage SaaS platforms and technology the same way private companies have, to bring efficiency and speed to HUD housing program management.
Processes and Compliance Overwhelm Workers
In the government sector, Housing Choice Vouchers, formerly known as Section 8, and CDBG grants can make a significant impact on the lives of low-income households, providing safe and affordable housing options.
It’s the responsibility of participating jurisdictions and housing authorities to allocate HUD funds and ensure the proper distribution of financial resources. However, this process can become excessively bureaucratic due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders and processes.
Additionally, the necessary, yet strict audits and reporting requirements by HUD create a stressful and laborious experience for oftentimes overworked and understaffed public servants.
In fact, high staff turnover has become a big problem in government. And one of the reasons for this crisis is that public servants don’t want to spend their time dealing with slow software, building workarounds, and creating system redundancies. They want to complete tasks quickly and efficiently so they can focus on serving the community.
The Monumental Difference SaaS Makes
Meanwhile, in the private sector, SaaS has fundamentally changed the way businesses operate.
Whether it is managing customer data, tracking deliveries, or monitoring employee productivity, software as a service (SaaS) is a revolution of time and cost efficiency. With customizable solutions for almost every industry and process, SaaS providers have made it possible for even small businesses to access enterprise-level technology at an affordable cost.
From cloud-based storage and collaboration tools to customer relationship management software, there is a SaaS solution for almost every laborious task and process. And with the continued advancements in technology, the possibilities of what SaaS can do to are endless.
This opportunity has gone largely untapped in the public sector for long enough.
HUD program management – but make it SaaSy
By bringing in SaaS solutions specifically designed for Housing and Urban Development programs, officials can automate tasks such as rental payments and waiting list management, freeing up valuable time and resources.
Additionally, these solutions can provide real-time data and analytics, giving officials insight into the effectiveness of their programs and where improvements can be made.
Ultimately, bringing SaaS solutions into affordable housing programs can lead to a more organized, efficient, and effective system for both officials and residents.
Software Solutions for HCD
A good SaaS platform stores documents and applications on a secure cloud.
This alone is ground-breaking as anyone who has worked in HCD can tell you that many Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) have endless paper applications and documents stored in fire-proof filing cabinets. This results in difficulties in finding documents and can prove to be a challenge during audits.
Another process that software optimizes is reporting on IDIS, which is HUD’s antiquated reporting system. Compliance requires teams to input several laborious and hard-to-find data points each year. But finding these data points is just a click away with advanced reporting features built into platforms, eliminating a time-consuming task entirely.
Software Solutions for HCV
Housing Choice Voucher programs have had software applications for a while now, but unfortunately, the systems are outdated and lack the advanced technology and features that newer platforms can provide.
A lot of these issues can be traced back to the original application for the software which tend to be either colossal, all-in-one solutions for government with an HCV module tacked on to fulfill RFP requirements, or even less ideal, customizations of white-label software.
The conventional way of managing voucher programs has been slow, complex, and prone to errors. But with the emergence of modern SaaS platforms, this is changing.
By automating many tedious and time-consuming tasks, these platforms are introducing a fresh approach to HCV program management. This reduces errors and allows for more efficient and effective management of HCV programs.
Utilizing Software Solutions for HUD
In conclusion, SaaS technology can be pivotal in solving bureaucratic challenges and delays in affordable housing programs. Innovative solutions tailored for HUD programs can automate and streamline processes, making it easier for people in need to get housing quickly and without undue stress.
Additionally, these new solutions are now cloud-based and mobile friendly, providing easy access to program data and enabling better collaboration between stakeholders. The result is an improved program management process that is more accurate, less time-consuming, and more cost-effective.
Through the application of SaaS for HUD program management, key obstacles can be eradicated or reduced, allowing everyone to step back and focus on what really matters: helping those in need.
