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Council member highlights issues with Housing Connect filters and requests improvements
0:30:56
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168 sec
Council Member Dinowitz points out problems with Housing Connect's search filters, which don't properly remove listings that don't meet user criteria. He asks about potential improvements to the system, particularly for voucher holders.
- Current filters show ineligible listings, leading to unqualified applications
- No option for voucher holders to bypass income requirements in searches
- HPD acknowledges the issue and is working on improvements to the front-end filter
- Timeline for updates is not yet available, but HPD will report back to the council
Eric Dinowitz
0:30:56
I'm gonna tell you why I'm asking.
0:30:57
Okay.
0:30:57
But that that's helpful.
0:30:58
So forty five days between we don't know the percentage of people rejected because they don't qualify but it's a number.
0:31:05
And here's why I'm asking and because we do Housing Connect in my office, we work with a number of providers that we fund in the city council.
0:31:13
That the filters on the Housing Connect search, they don't properly remove listings that don't fall under certain criteria of the filter.
0:31:22
So a user may apply for filter, they say I can afford this much, I have this many people.
0:31:28
But it pops up a bunch of other options and they say, the filter tells me that I qualify.
0:31:33
So I'm going to go ahead and apply for those apartments only to find out that, you know, within forty five days let's say they don't qualify.
0:31:42
Additionally, a person's income is not relevant if they have a voucher, correct?
0:31:49
they have the voucher, right?
0:31:50
So there's no option to say, hey, I have a voucher and to block out the income and just show, you know, what your voucher amount is.
0:32:00
That leads to confusion but I think the issue here is with a filter that doesn't actually filter properly, you have people applying for apartments who may not qualify.
0:32:09
Now that's a pain in the butt for them but what's worse is that someone in the second or third batch who would have otherwise qualified, their spot may have been taken up by someone who didn't qualify who could have been told beforehand if the filter were properly working that they're not going to qualify for this apartment so they should apply for something for which they qualify for.
0:32:29
So can Housing Connect be amended?
0:32:32
Can you guys amend Housing Connect to make a more accurate filter system?
0:33:04
Which is wonderful but I don't wanna see is someone with a saying, oh, I I I don't qualify because the filter tells me I need to make a certain amount of money.
0:33:22
And do you have a timeline for when that filter Yeah.
0:33:25
Is gonna be updated?
0:33:31
I would love to see a timeline on that and I'd you certainly love those percentages because that is going to speak to how one of the reasons people may be waiting so long is because other people who don't qualify for certain apartments are taking up those spots.
Ahmed Tigani
0:31:48
If they If
0:32:37
So I would two parts.
0:32:38
Yeah.
0:32:39
Yes.
0:32:39
So this is actually something that we're looking at and I'll let Emily build on it.
0:32:42
I'd say that on the on the voucher piece, it's something that we've been talking about specifically.
0:32:47
We had actually seen some good success with voucher holders in 2024.
0:32:52
We had about 20 a little over 2,600 individuals move into units in Housing Connect with vouchers out of the the shelter system.
0:33:02
So we know there is a pathway but
0:33:12
And and my I guess my follow-up there is that through that work we're seeing that we can actually make it more clear.
0:33:17
So what the front end filter is one of the areas that's on our scope list.
0:33:26
I don't have a timeline yet.
0:33:27
We can come back to the council as we would updates on where we are in Housing Connect.