The website is structured to meet the needs of three groups of users: renters, landlords and property managers, and housing-agency staff that help people find and keep housing. As a housing information and business center, Housing Connections is a virtual location where all players in the housing industry can connect and do business.
The Housing Connections website offers a number of tools and services:
- The Housing Locator - Landlords can list, and renters can search for, affordable, accessible or special needs housing.
- The Housing Calculator - A tool that renters can use to determine their affordable monthly rent payment and their median family income; necessary for eligibility for some rentals.
- The Housing Services Locator (Officials said this service is set to go live in the fall) - Anyone can search for services provided by local agencies that address a variety of housing barriers and issues.
- The Waitlist Management Tool (Also set to go live this fall) - This tool will allow renters to apply for multiple property waitlists online through one form, and keep their contact information up-to-date with one tool. This same tool will allow to property managers to manage property waitlists electronically.
- The Online Rental Application (Also set to go live this fall) - Renters can apply to multiple properties with one electronic application.
The Housing Connections was made possible in part by grants from the Technology Opportunities Program, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission through funds provided by AT&T; and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Officials said the Housing Connections serves the Portland metropolitan area, including Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington.
