Impact Accelerator Week 1

Over the course of the next five months, Haven Connect will participate in the Impact Accelerator for affordability in our new headquarters in Austin, TX.

Haven Connect and Impact Hub share the belief that Austin’s story of population growth and affordability is still being written. It is our goal to be a part of the positive progression of that story as we help make important measures to increase access to affordable housing and increase efficiency of Austin’s current properties and application processes. There are three main goals for the next five months:

1. Immerse ourselves in the affordable housing landscape in Austin. We know that there are organizations and individuals who have been fighting this fight for a long time. It is our aim to be good partners by truly understanding the affordable housing landscape and its players and making those connections. We want to be a genuine resource and partner for those already working on housing in Austin and who have been for years.
2. Leverage what is already working and improve what is not through technology and innovation. Our goal is to meet affordable properties where they are at currently and improve processes and efficiency through our online application and waitlist management software. We can cut down the time it takes to fill vacancies (as many as 4–6 weeks) and get more people moved into vacant units each year.
3. For individuals looking for affordable housing in Austin, we will increase the number of affordable property waitlists on our online application page. This will allow a greater number of people to access affordable housing waitlists easily. We aim to eliminate the gatekeeper and get as many people access to these affordable units as possible. We can also prove the demand for housing and help fight for the development of more affordable units.

We will use this blog to update on our progress and challenges. We invite your questions and concerns.