The Company
Northwest Real Estate Capital Corporation (NWRECC) is an Idaho non-profit specializing in the property management and rehabilitation of HUD/Section 8, Rural Development and Tax Credit Housing. Based in Boise, NWRECC operates more than 5,100 affordable housing units in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
The Challenge
Disparate Software Systems
Relying on piecemeal software, self-hosted databases and numerous file sharing systems can be risky and cumbersome. Organizations must constantly address connectivity issues, version updates, data conversions, training and more, which inflates staff hours and equipment costs unnecessarily. NWRECC recognized a need to meet this challenge head on and opted to replace its multiple software solutions with the single connected Yardi Affordable Housing Suite.
The Solution
Yardi Affordable Housing Suite
The foundation of the Yardi Affordable Housing Suite, Yardi Voyager Affordable Housing offers expertly crafted workflows for operations, finance, maintenance management and subsidy compliance. Integrated products from the Yardi Affordable Housing Suite provide NWRECC with seamless solutions for marketing, paperless applications, payment processing, invoice processing, resident screening and more.
The Story
A New Single Connected Solution Leads to Success
NWRECC previously relied on intranet file sharing systems and the postal service to send paper files between properties and headquarters. NWRECC replaced disparate software pieces and paper-intensive, manual processes with the Yardi Affordable Housing Suite hosted in the Yardi Cloud. “The tools we used in the past were outdated and inefficient. We simplified our operations with web-based efficiency and a single database,” said Noel Gill, executive vice president for NWRECC.
Centralizing operations on the Yardi Voyager platform enables NWRECC to add features from the Yardi Affordable Housing Suite. “We are always looking to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. Yardi is advancing its products at lightning speed, and it became very clear that we had to fully embrace the latest Voyager platform,” said Gill.
NWRECC now uses Yardi software for purchase orders, rent payment processing, unit inspections, maintenance, property marketing and more. “We are migrating toward a single way of doing business across all properties and that way is Yardi,” said Gill.
Improving the Lives of Residents
Gill aims to achieve a healthy resident turnover rate at NWRECC properties, which he describes as a good indicator for residents and households waiting for assistance. “I want our properties to be a stepping stone toward permanent, self-sufficient housing. There is only so much affordable housing subsidy out there. We design our services to help residents move on to a sustainable lifestyle, and when they do, there is the added benefit of freeing a unit for a new household to begin the journey toward sustainability,” says Gill. NWRECC offers life skills courses at its housing sites to help with personal banking, budgeting, education and more.
