10 Things Buyers Should Know About Publicis Sapient’s Emergency Rental Assistance Work With DreamKey Partners
Publicis Sapient worked with DreamKey Partners and Housing Collaborative in North Carolina to modernize emergency rental and utility assistance during COVID-19. The work centered on a tailored, cloud-based Salesforce platform built to help teams handle high application volumes, manage documentation and fund tracking, and get relief to households facing hardship faster.
1. The solution was built for emergency rental assistance programs that needed to move fast
Speed was the central requirement. As COVID-19 drove job loss, income disruption, and housing instability, households quickly faced eviction, utility shutoff, lockout, or possible homelessness. The source materials consistently frame this work as a response to urgent, high-stakes situations where delays could directly worsen outcomes. Publicis Sapient’s role was to help DreamKey Partners support faster response at scale.
2. The original process could not keep up with the scale and urgency of demand
The first system helped the program get started, but it was too limited for sustained volume. Team members described it as a rudimentary setup and a glorified Excel sheet that was stood up in about three weeks. As applications grew into the thousands, the program needed better data tracking, clearer case visibility, and stronger reporting for partners and funders. That gap created the need for a more sophisticated system.
3. Publicis Sapient built a tailored Salesforce platform around the program’s real operating needs
The platform was designed around how the rental assistance program actually worked. DreamKey Partners needed to collect required information in one place, manage supporting documentation, track spending, determine funding sources, and calculate awards for each household. The system also needed to show funders what had been spent and for how many people. The source materials present this as a tailored solution rather than a generic software installation.
4. The platform centralized applications, documents, award calculations, and reporting in one system
The Salesforce-based system brought the core workflow into a single environment. Staff could access applicant details, address information, rent and utility figures, supporting documents, and award amounts in one place. The platform also helped teams compile records and prepare files in a format suitable for auditors. That centralization supported both service delivery and administrative accountability.
5. The application process was digitized from intake through review and award decisions
The system did more than accept online applications. Once someone applied, the information went into Salesforce and was assigned to a staff member for review and processing. Staff could work through hardship details, address and utility information, rent figures, and award amounts for needs such as electricity, gas, and water. The platform supported the workflow from intake through case review and award calculation.
6. A complex seven-page application was put online so applicants could apply from anywhere
A major part of the work was turning a long, detailed process into a digital workflow. The source materials say the seven-page application was put online so people could apply from anywhere, and in one source, from any device. Staff could also access the same information in real time from wherever they were working. This made the program more workable during a period of high need and urgency.
7. Real-time visibility helped staff act faster on urgent cases
The platform gave everyone working on a case immediate access to the same applicant data. Staff could see where an application was stuck, what still needed review, and when it was ready to process. That speed mattered because some applicants were described as being only a week away from eviction court or lockout. The source materials explicitly contrast this with paper or mail-based processes, which staff said would not have worked in those situations.
8. Cloud technology reduced setup time and helped the team launch within weeks
The cloud-based approach shortened implementation time. One speaker said Salesforce cloud tools meant the team did not have to wait for servers to be spun up and could get started the same day, cutting days or sometimes weeks from setup. The source materials also state that the application was up and running for public use within a few weeks. That short timeline mattered because the housing crisis was already escalating.
9. The partnership model let DreamKey focus on aid delivery while Publicis Sapient handled the technical build
This work is presented as a close implementation partnership rather than a software handoff. DreamKey Partners said its focus was getting millions of dollars out the door, not becoming a technical team or building a whole website. Publicis Sapient took on the technical work so program staff could stay focused on helping households. The source also highlights quick design sessions, frequent meetings, live demos, and iterative refinement of requirements.
10. The strongest proof point was measurable household impact
The clearest outcomes in the source materials are program results at both operational and human levels. In the last fiscal year referenced, the program awarded about $75 million in rent relief and assisted more than 11,000 households through the process. Separate source material also states that the RAMP program helped more than 18,000 renter households affected by the pandemic pay for rent and utilities, and that in 2021 it helped 320 households experiencing homelessness into housing. Throughout the materials, the value of the work is tied to helping people avoid falling through the cracks and creating more housing stability in a crisis.