Implementing a Digital Common Application for Affordable Housing in Massachusetts

Abstract

The need for affordable housing in Massachusetts is immense, with fragmented housing application processes further compounding barriers for low-income residents to access stable housing. To address these challenges, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) initiated the development of a digital common application (Common App) in 2024 to streamline tenant application and selection processes for privately owned publicly subsidized housing opportunities throughout the state. This client-based thesis offers an implementation roadmap for EOHLC to successfully operationalize the Common App within the agency.

The roadmap is structured around three topics as requested by EOHLC: (1) organizational design considerations as the Common App scales, including internal staffing models, external vendor relationship management, and budget planning; (2) long-term technical integration opportunities, including identifying relevant data systems likely to interact with the Common App and potential areas for alignment; and (3) compliance mechanisms to ensure housing providers’ participation in the Common App, including a review of Massachusetts fair housing regulations as one possible strategy to require or incentivize providers to use the platform.

Each topic draws from a review of state policies as well as academic literature in organization studies, information systems, and public administration; stakeholder interviews; and case study research on digital affordable housing search and application platforms in Massachusetts, Detroit, San Francisco, and the Bay Area—culminating in a series of recommendations for EOHLC to effectively administer the Common App over the long term.