Pittsburgh to launch AI pilot to expedite affordable housing applications
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The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh is turning to artificial intelligence to help its staff process housing voucher applications quicker and more accurately.
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the local housing authority is looking to enhance the housing voucher recertification process as the demand for affordable housing continues to grow. But with too few staff to keep pace with demand, officials are turning to artificial intelligence as a potential solution.
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh is getting ready to launch a pilot program to explore how AI could help automate and expedite the application review process for tenants looking to recertify their housing vouchers, said La Shawna Hammond, director of the housing choice voucher program at HACP.
The housing choice voucher program is a federally funded setup that offers low-income individuals and families with rental assistance. In Pittsburgh, voucher holders pay 30% of their income toward rent and HACP covers the difference.
Last year, HACP had 5,600 vouchers available for use, and more than 5,171 were activated by residents, Pittsburgh’s Public Source reported. Voucher holders’ eligibility for the assistance program is reviewed annually.
Hammond added that there are only about a dozen housing specialists on staff who evaluate and determine recertification eligibility, often juggling hundreds of cases each. And while HACP recently hired five more specialists this summer, the authority remains critically understaffed.
“With the volume and the amount of paperwork that the housing specialists process on a daily basis, sometimes it's easy to miss a date or a signature,” Hammond said.
Officials hope the AI software will help reduce the number of errors in applications — such as a missing signature — as well as process more recertifications in less time.
HACP’s board recently approved a $160,392 contract with AI company Bob.ai in June to leverage its AI services for the yearlong pilot program. Hammond said HACP is working with the vendor to ensure contract requirements are met before they can move forward with the pilot program.
For residents, the platform for applying for voucher recertifications will “mimic H&R block,” Hammond said.
Customers, for instance, must provide information like their household income, employment status and other relevant data and documents to an online application. The AI system will scan residents’ applications and supporting documents to generate a report that helps inform a housing specialist’s decision to recertify a voucher, she explained.
The AI component “is augmenting and enhancing the existing process,” said Monty Ayyash, senior director of HACP’s IT department. “It is not replacing any existing human resources.”
Automating part of the recertification process to work in a timely and accurate manner can help free up more time for staff to “work compassionately” and give more attention to the households by processing their recertification, he explained.
Beyond streamlining application reviews for the department’s staff, the housing authority also aims to enhance customer experience for residents and landlords who engage with HACP’s voucher system, Ayyash said.
Officials will target performance metrics, such as faster turnaround times for recertifications and the accuracy of the AI tool, to inform efforts to expand the pilot program in the future.