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Q&A
Communication process with applicants throughout the lottery
1:02:31
·
4 min
Council Member Sanchez inquires about the communication process between HPD, marketing agents, and applicants throughout the lottery. HPD officials explain the notification system and key points of communication during the application process.
- Applicants can choose their preferred notification methods (email or text) in their Housing Connect account
- Notifications are sent at key milestones, such as application submission, eligibility confirmation, appointment scheduling, and final decisions
- The system aims to balance providing important information without overwhelming applicants
- Notifications include updates on application status, document submission requests, and appeal processes
Pierina Ana Sanchez
1:02:31
Got it.
1:02:31
Thank you.
1:02:32
And can you just again, in terms of the user experience, can you highlight how today HPD marketing agents, how are you communicating with, applicants to, to a lottery from the moment that they apply to onward, right, to to the moment that the building is full or the units are filled.
1:03:40
And so how what are the intervals of communication from the marketing agent slash HPD to?
Ahmed Tigani
1:02:54
So when you apply for an apartment, if you are selected as someone who may be a candidate for a unit, and there could be multiple people who are looked at per unit, There are there could be communications that come through the process, whether it's reminders to submit documentation or if it moves even further, to set up a schedule to view the apartment.
1:03:16
And then if it gets even further down the line, possibly, you know, complete the process and be selected for the lease signing.
1:03:24
At the end of the process, there is an email that notifies applicants that we have finished a lottery.
1:03:32
If they have not been selected, then they are encouraged to apply for other lotteries that are available at that time.
UNKNOWN
1:03:39
Got it.
Emily Osgood
1:03:48
Certainly.
1:03:49
So it starts somewhat with the applicant's choices or preferences on your if I'm an applicant on my Housing Connect account, I go to my account page and I choose what kind of notifications I wanna get in.
1:04:02
If I wanna receive notifications about important milestones by email, if I wanna be able to also do that by text message to my phone.
1:04:11
So that's number one.
1:04:12
The points at which we note which the system, but based on actions that we and marketing agents take through Housing Connect, notifies applicants.
1:04:24
Usually, you have to avoid overwhelming people, but with a million text messages and emails, but also make sure that people are getting the key information they need, especially when an action needs to be taken or a decision needs to be made.
1:04:38
Notifications happen when your application has been submitted.
1:04:43
So confirm that your application has been received.
1:04:46
If it's time for you if you've come up on the lottery log, right, your random number has come up in a batch, and it's time to confirm your eligibility by submitting documents, that's a notification.
1:04:58
If you set up an in person appointment or a phone appointment through the system, you'll get a notification related to that.
1:05:06
If you are approved for the unit, certainly you get notifications about that and information about move in.
1:05:15
If you are not, and let's say it turns out that based on all of the detailed information you provide, your income does not qualify you for that unit.
1:05:24
And you receive a rejection notice, you get a notification about that.
1:05:28
You then have the opportunity to appeal if you disagree or have corrected information to provide.
1:05:34
You get a notification when the response to your appeal has been processed with further instructions as I guess, thank you.
1:05:41
That's that's helpful.
1:05:42
And these notifications, I I understand from constituents and stakeholders that they do not occur via text message.
1:05:51
So is there are there some marketing agents and in some cases where there are text messages and other cases where there aren't?
1:06:00
It wouldn't be by marketing agent.
1:06:02
It would be in how each applicant's profile, how they've set up their account, what their preferences and contact information are in their account.
1:06:13
So if they have provided an a phone number for text messages and indicated that that's their preference, though, that's when they would be getting the text message alerts as well.
1:06:26
Got it.
1:06:27
Often, many do it by email instead or in addition.