Management Innovation: Technology

Alabama Housing Finance Authority:
Preserving the Past, Facilitating the Future: Digitized Target Area Maps

One click. Two seconds. AHFA’s digitization of target area maps vastly improved the speed, accuracy, and turnaround time for a daily task that formerly required a full-time employee to accomplish. By converting 30-year-old gas station paper maps with hand-drawn borders into an efficient online tool, AHFA has enabled lenders to perform their own searches – and used both the 1980 and 2020 Census data to maximize its target areas for qualified homebuyers.

California Housing Finance Agency:
Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan Portal

CalHFA worked with an outside contractor to create a groundbreaking Application Portal for potential homebuyers applying for the Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan Program. We had to ensure selected applicants met geographic equity guidelines and that as many eligible Californians as possible had to opportunity to apply. We processed more than 18,000 applications and randomly selected about 2,000 families to receive a life-changing loan.

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority:
On-Demand Lender Training

CHFA’s On-demand Training offers a library of videos for Participating Lenders to find information about CHFA’s frequently asked questions in a convenient, concise format. The video library is available at chfainfo.com/lender-library. Since its launch, CHFA estimates a 30 percent reduction in calls and emails as it relates to these commonly asked questions.

Idaho Housing and Finance Association:
Power BI Dashboards: Transforming Pipeline Management and Lender Analytics

To proactively manage loan submission inflows and optimize staffing, IHFA implemented Power BI dashboards. These dashboards provide real-time visualization of loan pipelines, enabling predictive analysis for staffing needs and detailed insights into lender performance and loan profiles. This technological advancement ensures efficient resource allocation and strengthens partnerships with lending institutions.

Kentucky Housing Corporation:
KHC Design & Construction Review New Jotform Inspection Reporting Process

This year, KHC took a major step forward by moving to a new electronic inspection reporting process through a simple online software called Jotform. The new process allows the report to be generated during the inspection on their mobile phones, which leads to greater accuracy, efficiency, and the speed with which they are shared with partners. Jotform has proven to be the optimal solution for KHC’s DCR Team that allows inspectors to focus more on thorough evaluations rather than paperwork.

Michigan State Housing Development Authority:
Grants Management System Update

MSHDA implemented a new grant management system via a new platform that eliminated barriers to some applicants, facilitated a transition that was transparent and equitable to both new and existing funding applicants, and implemented changes to streamline the process of accepting and processing these applications for grant funding.

Nebraska Investment Finance Authority:
Innovation In Action: From Spreadsheets to Smart Solutions

NIFA transformed its LIHTC allocations by implementing Engage, a web-based platform that replaced outdated spreadsheets and emails. This scalable tool streamlines communication, document sharing, and project management across all phases of development. Engage has doubled staff capacity, cut costs by 33%, and enhanced transparency and efficiency - demonstrating how small agencies can achieve big impact through intentional strategic innovation.

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency:
Making Program Impacts More Accessible: Open Data Suite & Research Tools

Financing affordable housing opportunities in New Jersey requires NJHMFA to operate a vast array of programs, whose impacts may not be readily apparent to laypersons. Collectively, these programs assist thousands of New Jerseyans every year and enable the construction of hundreds of affordable apartments. To make relevant information more readily accessible, NJHMFA has developed and published several interactive data tools that inform the public and incentivize improved data entry by partners.

New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority:
Weatherization Program Online System

The Housing New Mexico Weatherization Program Online System is a tool developed in-house to track production and expenditures for the Weatherization Assistance Program. The system has been enhanced over the years to allow service providers to add measures needed to make homes more energy efficient, allowing program staff to track the savings for each home. Program managers are able to run specific reports without having to contact the Information Systems Department for any ad hoc data exports.

Oregon Housing and Community Services:
New IT Service Management Tool Boosts Efficiency and Collaboration

Leveraging new technology, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) reimagined how it delivers services to both internal and external partners. By investing in Jira Service Management (JSM), OHCS is fostering collaboration and innovation while aligning with IT best practices. What began as an IT help center has evolved into a robust network of resources supporting housing programs across the agency. JSM now serves as a foundational tool that drives efficiency and creativity in OHCS’ work.