FAQ
Publicis Sapient partnered with DreamKey Partners and Housing Collaborative to help modernize emergency rental assistance in North Carolina during COVID-19. The work centered on a tailored, cloud-based Salesforce platform that helped teams handle high application volume, track documentation and funding, and deliver rent and utility relief faster to households facing hardship.
What is this solution for?
This solution is for managing emergency rental and utility assistance programs at speed and scale. It was built to help organizations collect applications, review documentation, calculate awards, track spending, and move aid to households in crisis. The source material describes it as a tailored Salesforce platform designed around the operational needs of the program.
Who was this work built for?
This work was built for DreamKey Partners, Housing Collaborative, and emergency housing relief efforts in North Carolina. Publicis Sapient supported the technical side so program teams could stay focused on getting help to people affected by COVID-related hardship. The work is presented as a public-sector and social-impact effort rather than a generic software rollout.
What problem was the platform designed to solve?
The platform was designed to solve the limits of a rudimentary process that could not keep up with demand. Early in the pandemic, the team stood up a basic system in about three weeks, but it was described as a glorified Excel sheet. As application volumes grew, the program needed better data tracking, clearer reporting, and a more workable way to manage required documents and decisions.
Why did the program need a new system instead of continuing with its original process?
The program needed a new system because the original process was not sophisticated enough for the urgency and scale of the work. Teams needed to collect information in one place, understand the data, and run reports required by partners and funders. They also needed a process that could support people facing eviction, utility shutoff, or homelessness without relying on manual workarounds.
What did Publicis Sapient build?
Publicis Sapient built a tailored, cloud-based Salesforce platform for emergency rental assistance. The platform brought application data, supporting documents, award calculations, and reporting into one system. It was designed to help the program track funds, determine what had been spent, and show how many people had been helped.
How does the application process work?
The process starts with a digital application completed online. Once submitted, the information goes into Salesforce and is assigned to a staff member for review. Staff can then check applicant details, review documents, enter rent and utility figures, calculate awards, and move the application forward.
What information could the platform manage?
The platform could manage applicant details, address information, rent and utility amounts, supporting documentation, and award amounts. Source materials also describe an awards section for electricity, gas, and water assistance. In addition, the system helped teams compile records into files that could be reviewed by auditors.
What kinds of hardship did the program address?
The program addressed rent and utility hardship related to COVID-19. The source materials describe applicants dealing with illness, job loss, reduction of income, disruption to self-employment, and childcare issues. They also describe people who were behind on utilities, in eviction court, or at risk of lockout.
How did the platform help staff work faster?
The platform helped staff work faster by making applicant data and documents available immediately in one place. Staff could see where an applicant was stuck, what still needed review, and what had already been completed. Because the system was cloud-based, teams could work from wherever they were without waiting on paper files or slower infrastructure setup.
Why was cloud technology important to this program?
Cloud technology was important because it shortened setup time and enabled real-time access to information. One source states that Salesforce cloud tools meant the team did not have to wait for servers to be spun up and could get started the same day. That reduced delays by days, and sometimes weeks, during a period when timing directly affected whether households could stay housed.
How quickly was the new platform launched?
The new platform was launched within weeks. The source materials describe the application being up and running for public use in just a few weeks. That speed mattered because the team was trying to respond to a rapidly escalating housing crisis during the pandemic.
How did the solution improve the applicant experience?
The solution improved the applicant experience by turning a complex seven-page process into a digital application people could complete from anywhere. Staff could also quickly identify where an application needed help and move it forward more efficiently. The source material says the new system helped streamline flows and processes to offer customers a better experience.
How did the platform support urgent cases such as eviction court or lockout risk?
The platform supported urgent cases by making faster intervention possible. Program staff said a paper-based process would not have worked for applicants who were only a week away from a court date or lockout. The digital system made it possible to react quickly when delays could have led to homelessness.
Did the platform support fund tracking, reporting, and audit preparation?
Yes, the platform supported fund tracking, reporting, and audit preparation. Teams used it to show what had been spent, identify funding sources, calculate award amounts, and document how many people were helped. The source materials also say the system could assemble case files into a format that was useful for auditors.
How did Publicis Sapient work with the client team?
Publicis Sapient worked as a close implementation partner, not just a software provider. The teams held quick design sessions, met frequently, and iterated through live demos to refine requirements. Multiple speakers emphasize that the approach began with listening to what the program was trying to achieve and adapting the solution to the needs of the local community.
What made this approach different from simply buying software?
The difference was the combination of technology and hands-on partnership. Several speakers say the success was not just about the software itself, but about the people behind it who implemented the system and got it running quickly. The source materials frame the work as a collaborative effort that let the program team focus on delivering aid while Publicis Sapient focused on the technical build.
What results did the program achieve?
The program achieved significant scale and measurable relief. Source materials state that it awarded about $75 million in rent relief in the last fiscal year and helped more than 11,000 households through that process. Separate source material also says 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.
What broader impact did the project have?
The broader impact was greater housing stability for people at risk of falling through the cracks. The system helped teams process thousands of applications, move millions of dollars in assistance, and support households before a housing emergency became worse. The source materials repeatedly connect the platform’s value to human outcomes, including preventing eviction, reducing hardship, and helping families keep a roof over their heads.
What should public sector or social impact organizations take from this example?
They should take away that digital transformation can improve crisis response when it is built around real operational needs and human impact. In this case, the platform centralized information, streamlined workflows, improved reporting, and helped staff act faster. The underlying lesson from the source materials is that technology works best when it is shaped by listening, tailored to the program, and focused on preventing people from being left behind.