Case Study

Entrata Affordable: Simplifying Complexity in Affordable Housing

How to Empower Success While Navigating Federal & Local Compliance

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Challenge

Affordable housing operators face some of the toughest operational hurdles in property management, from managing layered programs and ever-changing compliance to preventing staff burnout. As new HOTMA, city, and state regulations roll out, operators are forced to stay nimble while juggling evolving rules and complex layered programs.

Staff turnover compounds the problem. As veteran compliance managers are leaving the space, newer team members often require extensive training to navigate complex regulations. Combined with fragmented systems and manual data entry, this creates inefficiencies, higher error rates, and an increasing risk of audit issues.

Solution

Entrata’s Affordable platform was designed to bring structure and clarity to one of the industry’s most complex operating environments, helping operators stay compliant without slowing down their teams. By automating key workflows, separating programs for clarity, and embedding compliance intelligence into the platform, each program can be managed independently within the same system, eliminating the guesswork and errors that often occur when requirements are blended into a single, confusing process.

1. Automated Document Collection

Affordable housing remains a paper-heavy industry. Over the past year, Entrata customers have collected more than 1.6 million documents electronically, eliminating manual file handling. Based on an average of 20–30 minutes saved per document, that translates to roughly 320 full-time hours saved across the Entrata system, giving teams valuable time back to focus on stronger priorities and resident service.

2. Certification Approval Routing

Launched at R3 in 2024, Entrata’s certification approval routing goes beyond automation by giving affordable housing teams visibility into how approvals actually move through their organization.

With built-in analytics providing real-time insights, teams can see where certifications stall, which documents generate the most corrections, and how workload is distributed across compliance staff while taking immediate action. This transforms what was once an opaque, manual process into a measurable, impactful workflow.

Early adopters report 61 hours saved annually per compliance specialist, translating to $4,700 in labor cost savings per year, while reducing system touchpoints from five or more to as few as three. These insights help teams improve accuracy, take immediate action, standardize training, and prepare for audits with confidence. 

3. Streamlined Recertification Workflows

By automating recertification notices and approval routing, Entrata helps maintenance and site teams stay on top of annual certifications. On average, customers have saved 63 hours per maintenance technician and 30 hours per property team each year, adding up to roughly $1,100 in annual savings per property. As automation expands, these time savings will continue to grow.

Impact

1.6 million  electronic documents collected

eliminating manual file handling

320  hours saved

across the Entrata system

61 hours saved annually

per compliance specialist

$4700  

labor cost savings per year

63  hours saved

per maintenance tech each year and 30 hours per property team

1,100  hours saved

per property

Takeaway

Entrata’s Affordable platform now supports complex program layering, including HOME, Section 8, Tax Credit, and other local programs, with clarity and automation. In the year ahead, Entrata plans to expand certification routing analytics and enhance HOME program support, giving operators even more insight into delays, errors, and layered compliance performance. As regulations evolve, Entrata’s mission remains the same: simplify complexity so operators can focus on the communities they serve, not paperwork.

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