10 Things Buyers Should Know About How Publicis Sapient Helped DreamKey Partners Deliver Emergency Rental Assistance
Publicis Sapient worked with DreamKey Partners and Housing Collaborative in North Carolina to modernize emergency rental assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. The work centered on a tailored, cloud-based Salesforce platform designed to help teams handle high application volume, track funds and documentation, and deliver rent and utility relief faster to households facing hardship.
1. The solution was built for emergency rental assistance at crisis speed
Speed was the central requirement. As COVID-19 disrupted jobs and incomes, many households quickly faced eviction risk, utility shutoff risk, or possible homelessness. Existing systems could not keep up with the surge in need, so DreamKey Partners needed a faster way to process applications and move aid out the door. Publicis Sapient was brought in to help support response at that pace.
2. The original process was too limited for the scale of demand
The first setup helped the program get started, but it was not enough for sustained volume. Team members described it as a rudimentary system and even a glorified Excel sheet that was stood up in about three weeks. It lacked the tools needed to track data clearly, understand case status, and produce reporting for partners and funders. That gap created the need for a more tailored platform.
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 was also intended to show funders what had been spent and for how many people. In the source material, this was framed as a tailored solution, not a generic software installation.
4. The application workflow was digitized from intake through review and award calculation
The system did more than accept applications online. 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 moving a case from intake toward approval and payment.
5. The cloud-based setup helped the team launch within weeks and work in real time
The cloud model reduced the time needed to get started. One speaker said Salesforce cloud tools meant the team did not have to wait for servers to be spun up and could begin the same day, cutting down days or even weeks. Source materials also state that the new application was up and running for public use within a few weeks. That mattered because the program was responding to a rapidly escalating housing crisis.
6. A seven-page application was put online so people could apply from anywhere
A major part of the project was turning a complex application into a digital process. The source says the seven-page application was put online so applicants could complete it from anywhere and on any device. Staff could also access the same information from wherever they were working. This made the program more workable at a time when both need and urgency were high.
7. Real-time visibility helped staff intervene before urgent cases became worse
The platform helped staff act faster when households were close to eviction or lockout. Team members said some applicants were only a week away from a court date or even a lockout, and that a paper-based or mail-based process would not have worked in those situations. Shared access to current application data made it easier for staff to see where a case was stuck and what still needed review. In this program, faster workflow was directly tied to faster intervention.
8. The system improved documentation, reporting, and audit readiness
The platform centralized more than just applicant records. Staff described being able to compile all documents a customer had submitted and pull them up with a click. They also said the system could assemble files in a format that was useful for auditors. This made the platform valuable not only for service delivery, but also for accountability to funders and partners.
9. The partnership model let DreamKey focus on relief delivery while Publicis Sapient handled the technical build
The source repeatedly presents the work as a close partnership rather than a software handoff. DreamKey’s focus was getting millions of dollars out the door, not becoming a technical team or building a website from scratch. Publicis Sapient took on the technical work so the program team could stay focused on helping households. Speakers also emphasized frequent meetings, quick trust-building, design sessions, and iteration through live demos.
10. The strongest proof point was measurable household impact
The clearest outcome in the source material is the scale of relief delivered. 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 source, Publicis Sapient’s role is framed around helping prevent people from falling through the cracks and giving program staff a more workable way to deliver aid.