Digital Platform for Community Housing Services
A housing advocacy nonprofit needed to reach residents in four languages with complex, time-sensitive housing services information. We built a platform that works for everyone.
- Languages supported
- 4
- Task completion rate
- 89%
- Average mobile load time
- 2.1s
- Routine call reduction
- 41%
- Lighthouse score
- 95+
- To reach urgent services
- 2 taps
English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali
Up from estimated 31%
On 3G connection
Staff time redirected to complex cases
Across all language versions
From homepage on mobile
The challenge
The Community Housing Alliance serves a diverse urban population seeking access to emergency housing, eviction defense, and rental assistance. Their website was English-only, inaccessible on mobile, and required a phone call to access any services. During housing emergencies, residents were unable to find the help they needed online. Staff were spending 60% of their time answering calls that a well-designed platform could handle.
The solution
We conducted user research in community centers, libraries, and legal aid clinics — speaking directly with residents who had sought housing services. The resulting platform supports English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali with machine-assisted translation reviewed by native speakers. Navigation was redesigned around urgency and clarity — a resident in crisis should reach the right service in two taps. We built a structured resource directory, a guided intake form, and an eligibility screening tool.
The outcome
Task completion rates — measured as finding and successfully accessing the correct service — rose to 89%, from an estimated 31% on the previous site. Average load time on mobile is 2.1 seconds. All four languages score above 95 on Lighthouse accessibility. The organization's call volume for routine inquiries dropped 41%, allowing case workers to focus on residents with complex needs.