Disclaimer

In the interest and true spirit of full-disclosure, I should report to you that the company I work for, Hampden Technologies, Inc. is the creator of PHAnetwork.com. Furthermore, I am the principal software developer of the program. That said, I will present a totally unbiased and objective view (tongue firmly in cheek) of this top-notch software application.

What PHAnetwork.com is!

PHAnetwork.com is a true, web-based software application for Public Housing Agencies that covers all aspects of public-housing management. This includes intake through the waiting list, housing applicants into Public Housing units or granting Housing-Choice vouchers, calculating tenant rents for a variety of housing programs, managing tenant ledgers, HAP ledgers, rent rolls, Work Orders and fixed-asset inventory. PHAnetwork.com also features full financials including General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Payroll. In addition, users can track Purchase Orders and consumables inventory.

The Epiphany

The Eureka moment came when my partner and I who had been providing Public Housing software solutions for several years discussed the issue of getting software into the hands of smaller housing agencies. The problem at the time was the total cost of ownership (TCO) of Public Housing Software. Typically there is software to purchase for each user along with file-servers database products and expensive licensing. All of this precluded many Public Housing Authorities from obtaining the much-needed resources to manage their agencies. Sure, there were low-priced software programs available but these addressed only small parts of their total workload such as tenant files or calculations. Nothing was available to power their entire information processing needs.

We needed a way to give these small organizations the tools required to stay compliant, increase productivity and allow them to focus on the important task of providing quality, affordable housing to their communities. That's when we turned to the Internet as the backbone of a new system.

At the time (circa 2001) web-based software applications were in their infancy. Nevertheless, we trudged ahead determined to fill a void left neglected by the major Public Housing Software vendors in the country. We were fortunate enough to get a small local agency (Easton, MA) on board as a beta tester for our early releases. They worked diligently through the system and reported any problems along the way but those were few and far between. Much to our delight, our initial probe into the small housing authority arena had been a success.

Through word-of-mouth, news of our application began to spread through Southeastern Massachusetts. Soon more authorities were signing on. The fact that they did not have to go through the lengthy RFP process was a bonus (PHAnetwork.com is a subscription service so it's no different than obtaining telephone or cable services). Since there was no hardware or software to purchase every agency could afford it! With very little marketing efforts we began to take on more and more agencies.

PHAnetwork: Editing the 50058 Family Report

A Very Large Community

Fast-forward to 2008. What began as an effort to provide a resource for small Public Housing Authorities blossomed into a full-time venture. To date, nearly one quarter of the agencies in Massachusetts use PHAnetwork.com every day. Together they manage over 40,000 tenants not to mention the thousands of applicants on their waiting lists. It's not just the small Housing Authorities either. We have three agencies with over 1500 units each that use PHAnetwork.com to manage their entire operations.

A New Way of Doing Things

When trying to understand the success we've had in a relatively short time, I listened to what some of our newest clients were saying. Things like "It's so easy to use, I can't believe everyone isn't using this!" and "We were able to use the system without any training. We were up and running in just a few days."

The compelling reason for using PHAnetwork.com is the ease at which users can get started and stay on task. Most operations are wizard-driven giving the users cues along the way to keep them going. One of our main goals when developing PHAnetwork.com was to make it a "hands-off" system. We realized that small agencies (remember that was our original focus group) didn't have the funding to arrange for onsite training. They had to be able to teach themselves how to use our system. In most cases, we have not even met face-to-face with our clients nor have we visited their Authorities.

That's not to say that training isn't available. For some of our larger clients we still do onsite training and progress checks. We also offer "over-the-Internet" training when a user needs a little extra help. PHAnetwork.com also has a comprehensive, online users guide with step-by-step instructions for all operations of the system. In the coming months PHAnetwork.com will feature short videos that users can view to get additional help on certain operations.

The Future if Looking Bright

The future of PHAnetwork.com is filled with optimism. The product is continuously updated to conform to the ever-changing state and federal regulations. Future versions will feature more "Executive Director" oversight tools to assist in compliance monitoring, user-assistants to remember user preferences and provide hints, and more export and reporting tools.

Okay, I'm Sold. What do I do now?

If you manage a Public Housing Authority with up to 1500 units of public and leased housing tenants, PHAnetwork.com is the solution for you. Conversion of your existing housing data is available so you can get started right away. I've outlined the history of PHAnetwork.com and how it can transform your Authority into a smooth-running, well-oiled machine (in my own very unbiased way), but if you are still a little hesitant then don't take my word for it. Listen to what some of our clients are saying (www.phanetwork.com/clientcomments.asp).

The inevitable next question is "How much will this cost?" Visit http://www.phanetwork.com/ to get an instant price quote that you can bring to your board of directors. It will be fun to watch their jaws drop when they find out how much you'll be saving by going with PHAnetwork.com.

If you have more questions about PHAnetwork.com, feel free to send me an email. Hey, I know one of the developers!!