HUD Introduced a New OnLine and Smartphone Resource

NEW RESOURCE FOR FINDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN YOUR AREA

In August, 2015, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD unveiled a new tool on their website and a new app that can be downloaded on your phone to help find affordable housing. http://resources.hud.gov/ The new feature and app are called HUD Resource Locator and there are several helpful functions that each one provides.  Housing Cleveland.org has a lot more units and buildings listed, and the homeless resources section is not useful at all. You can find an inventory of the housing in the communtiy and the housing specifically available to seniors and disabled individuals.  These are only the HUD subsidized units so not a comprehensive list of units.   It is much easier to use with a smartphone that can tie into your GPS on your phone to narrow down your location. 

You can:

  •  Find affordable housing opportunities near me
  •  Find a HUD Office Near Me
  •  Find My Local Public Housing Authority/Agency PHA
  •  Find Homeless Resources Near Me
  •  Find Affordable Elderly and Special Needs Housing
  •  View all Resources

The HUD Resource Locator – an innovative mobile app and website to help further expand and enhance traditional HUD customer service.  Now you can search using these new functions and find housing with just a mouse click!    The resource locator will offer real-time HUD housing information at the fingertips of people looking to quickly connect with building managers, public housing authority representatives, and property management companies to inquire about housing availability and other housing-related questions. This gives people leads on where to look for housing, but does not tell the availability of housing like HousingCleveland can provide.

The HUD resource locator is one of several services provided by HUD’s Enterprise Geographic Information System (eGIS). This tool uses GIS technology to pinpoint where resources are located and allow anyone with a smartphone or tablet to get relevant contact information. For example, the new app can be used during a disaster when families need to find housing, or when social service providers are helping persons experiencing homelessness look for available housing assistance. In an era where people are increasingly using smartphones to find information, the HUD resource locator app and mobile site provides an easy tool for anyone to use to find housing resources. The resource locator uses housing data from HUD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The HUD Resource Locator app delivers real-time HUD housing information at the touch of a button,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “In today’s global economy where more and more people have a smartphones or similar devices, HUD is committed to finding ways to make it easier for Americans to access our resources and find opportunities to move ahead.”

The HUD Resource Locator is a mobile app and mobile website that includes:

  • Information about commonly requested housing-related resources from HUD field and regional offices throughout the country.
  • Location data and contact information for HUD Field and Regional Offices, Public Housing Authorities, Multifamily Housing, Low Income Housing Tax Credit apartments, USDA Rural Housing, and Continuum of Care Homeless staff.
  • Maps that are seamlessly linked via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, email and text messages.
  • GIS and Browser Location Detection to show resources in proximity to the user.
  • Ability to export search results to Excel and to generate a custom PDF resource guide.

The app and website puts landlord phone numbers, addresses and up to date property information about available properties at your fingertips. 

The HUD Resource Locator mobile app is available via Apple iTunes, Google Play Marketplace and also on your computer browser at resources.hud.gov.”  It only takes a couple minutes to download, then once installed you give them access to your location and you are ready to do property searches which give you up to date info on what is available in your area.

Brian and Denise and HUD's Press Release

Chris KnestrickHUD