Cities Give Housing Technology a Wary Reappraisal
Digital platforms and services have brought a mixed bag of benefits to cities — and a backlash from equity and privacy advocates.
A real estate agent checks his mobile phone while waiting for potential buyers in San Francisco.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
The problem was well known: During the pandemic, billions of dollars in federal emergency rental assistance were sitting unused, in part because struggling tenants were having trouble applying for aid. Many of the state programs tasked with distributing the relief funds were riddled with bureaucratic hurdles, leading to frustrating delays.
For the National Fair Housing Alliance, one part of the answer is technological. At the beginning of March, the housing nonprofit launched a website called Frontdoor that allows tenants to more easily access rent aid.