HousingWorks
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
HousingWorks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HousingWorks
- Legal name
- HousingWorks, Inc.
- Website
- https://housingworks.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where HousingWorks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
HousingWorks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Advocate Subscription: Annual subscription model for housing advocates providing access to housing log tools, pre-filled applications, automated housing logs, and reporting features
- Provider Services: Waitlist administration, application support, lottery services, and compliance reporting for housing providers - pricing contact-based
- Policymaker Services: Data-driven strategy services and real-time reporting for government and policy organizations - pricing contact-based
- Applicant Services: Free housing search and application services for low-income housing applicants
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free housing search and application access |
| Freemium | Others | Free trial for advocate subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription for advocates |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Custom pricing for housing providers |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Custom pricing for policymakers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels2 records
HousingWorks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HousingWorks operates a web-based centralized affordable housing management platform that enables low-income applicants to search and apply for housing, provides housing advocates with case management and pre-filled application tools at a $250 annual subscription, and delivers waitlist administration, lottery, and compliance reporting services to housing providers. The platform also generates real-time supply-demand data sets used by city and state policymakers for housing strategy and impact measurement, serving as the only ecosystem simultaneously delivering these three interconnected service modules.
Product overview
HousingWorks offers a unified platform providing comprehensive data management and support services across the affordable housing ecosystem. The core HousingWorks Search Application serves as the public-facing housing search and apply portal, while three interconnected service modules—the Comprehensive Search and Apply Module, the Centralized Inventory and Waitlist Module, and the Unique Data Sets reporting product—work together to collect applicant and inventory data. Service tiers include the Advocate Portal (with a $250 annual subscription) providing pre-filled applications, automated housing logs, and batch waitlist updates; Waitlist Administration and Lottery Services for housing providers; and policy-focused reporting products generating real-time longitudinal data on displacement, waitlist times, and income levels for policymakers. Supporting tools include the Housing Log (available in Excel, typeable PDF, and printable formats), Multi-Property Update Form, and Advocate Training Videos. The platform serves four stakeholder segments: applicants (free access), advocates ($0 trial / $250 subscription), providers (contact for pricing), and policymakers (contact for pricing).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HousingWorks Search Application Web-based platform enabling housing applicants to search for affordable housing by zip code/county, filter by unit size, housing type, vouchers, and affordability level; submit applications and track status through a housing log. Available at no cost to low-income housing seekers.
- Advocate Portal Subscription-based platform access for housing advocates providing pre-filled housing applications, automated housing logs, client outcome reports, and batch waitlist updates; available at $250 annual subscription.
- Waitlist Administration Services Full range of services including waitlist building, updates, ADA-boosting application processes, reports, lottery services, staff training, and in-house management support for housing providers.
- Lottery Services Private and customizable centralized waitlist services enabling housing providers to manage lotteries and applicant ranking efficiently.
- Policy Reports / Unique Data Sets Real-time and longitudinal data reports on supply-demand dynamics, displacement trends, waitlist times, and income levels derived from comprehensive housing search and waitlist activities; used by policymakers for informed decision-making.
Quantifiable outcome
- Applicants can complete in a reasonable amount of time what previously required 30+ handwritten applications
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HousingWorks
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HousingWorks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
HousingWorks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Boston Rental Subsidy CoalitioncoreHousingWorks joined the Boston Rental Subsidy Coalition, a group of 20 advocacy groups that lobbied the mayor's office for 5 years to institute a program converting so-called affordable housing into truly affordable housing. HousingWorks brought data reports to city hall demonstrating the need and approach, which helped change the conversation with city leadership.
- Fenway Community Development CorporationcoreFenway CDC partnered with HousingWorks for strategic planning exercises to determine what income groups and populations to serve. HousingWorks provided access to their database of 20,000+ families seeking affordable housing and helped manipulate and extract data to present detailed policy recommendations to the Fenway CDC Board of Directors.
- 2Life Communitiesminor2Life Communities proactively requested reports on average and worst waitlist times for each of their seven buildings in Brighton, Newton, and Framingham to explore how to further their affordable housing mission.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
HousingWorks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Padmission: Padmission operates a student and intern housing marketplace with similar search/apply platform mechanics to HousingWorks, but serves a different (student/academic) demographic. The comparison is relevant for marketplace dynamics rather than direct competition.
Broad incumbents
- Zillow: Zillow operates the broader housing search marketplace and acquired AffordableHousing.com, making it an indirect competitor for HousingWorks' applicant-facing search and discovery use case—though Zillow does not focus on low-income or subsidized inventory.
- MRI Software: MRI Software provides residential property management platforms with affordable housing functionality, competing with HousingWorks for the same mid-market and enterprise housing provider customers.
- ResMan: ResMan is a property management platform serving affordable and conventional multifamily housing with applicant screening and compliance features that overlap with HousingWorks' provider services.
- Yardi: Yardi is a dominant property management software platform with dedicated affordable housing modules (Yardi Affordable) that compete with HousingWorks' waitlist administration and provider services—though Yardi serves a much broader multifamily customer base.
- RealPage: RealPage offers property management software with affordable housing compliance and waitlist features that overlap with HousingWorks' provider offerings, but operates as a broad multifamily platform rather than an affordable housing specialist.
Direct peers
- AffordableHousing.com: AffordableHousing.com operates a national affordable housing search and application portal, directly overlapping with HousingWorks' HousingWorks Search Application product for low-income housing applicants.
- Emphasys Software: Emphasys Software specializes in software for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), including applicant management, waitlist, and compliance tools—directly comparable to HousingWorks' provider and policymaker service offerings.
- GoSection8: GoSection8 is a housing voucher (Section 8) search and listings platform serving the same low-income applicant population as HousingWorks, with a comparable freemium model and landlord/provider matching functionality.
- SocialServe: SocialServe provides affordable housing search, applicant screening, and waitlist management software to housing authorities and nonprofits—directly comparable to HousingWorks' provider and applicant services across the affordable housing ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HousingWorks social profiles
Digital presenceHousingWorks compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
HousingWorks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HousingWorks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
HousingWorks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HousingWorks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HousingWorks
What does HousingWorks do?
HousingWorks operates a web-based centralized affordable housing management platform that enables low-income applicants to search and apply for housing, provides housing advocates with case management and pre-filled application tools at a $250 annual subscription, and delivers waitlist administration, lottery, and compliance reporting services to housing providers. The platform also generates real-time supply-demand data sets used by city and state policymakers for housing strategy and impact measurement, serving as the only ecosystem simultaneously delivering these three interconnected service modules.
Is HousingWorks a public or private company?
HousingWorks is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was HousingWorks founded?
HousingWorks was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is HousingWorks based?
HousingWorks is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does HousingWorks make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Advocate Subscription is the primary driver. The others are provider Services, policymaker Services and applicant Services.
Who are HousingWorks's main competitors?
Padmission is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Zillow, MRI Software, ResMan, Yardi and RealPage. Direct peers are AffordableHousing.com, Emphasys Software, GoSection8 and SocialServe.
Does HousingWorks have an API?
No public API is recorded for HousingWorks.