It takes District residents an average of five to six months to move into housing after being matched1 with a local DC housing voucher. One reason for this timeline is the lengthy and confusing application process. The DC Housing Authority (DCHA)’s current voucher application takes at least one to two hours to fill out. The 40 pages of forms contain confusing language and redundant questions. This can lead to mistakes. Mistakes mean delays in the review process, and that residents wait longer to receive approval for a voucher and, ultimately, move into housing. To address these challenges, we have redesigned the application forms and are working on improvements to the submission process.
Why is this issue important in DC?
Throughout 2023, the Lab, the DC Housing Authority, the Department of Human Services (DHS), and Resident Researchers engaged the community to find ways to improve voucher services and help District residents secure housing faster. One of the community’s key recommendations was for District Government to further invest in customer service.
Map of the steps a resident takes in the application phase of becoming housed with a voucher.
What did we do?
In response the lengthy application process and the community’s request for improved customer service, we redesigned the voucher application forms. With the DC Housing Authority’s legal and voucher teams we went line-by-line through the 40 pages of forms that make up the current voucher application. We shadowed residents and case managers filling out the forms, as well as DC Government staff processing the forms. We considered local and federal rules and regulations. With an understanding of the needs of both residents and government, we then redesigned the application. This redesign uses plain language and reduces duplicative questions. It is visually accessible for those with low vision, and it guides users with tips and explainers. We’re now taking those redesigned application forms and are making process improvements to how applications are submitted and reviewed.
What have we learned?
The existing packet was not designed as a cohesive application. Over the last 15 years, pages were added when new program requirements emerged, and existing pages stayed untouched. That led to repetition, like asking for “applicant name” more than ten times throughout the packet.
“I have to enter the same information 15 different times. If I make one mistake, it gets kicked back.”
What comes next?
We are exploring our next customer improvement effort, which will likely focus on the creation of customer-facing communication materials on the matching process as well as tools to help confirm which documents applicants need to submit with their application.
What happened behind the scenes?
The application is used by several different voucher programs, and each has slightly different questions. Instead of asking all applicants to answer all questions, we’ve arranged questions into modules. Applicants can more easily skip whole sections that do not apply to them. For example, if the applicant is applying for a federally funded voucher, they’ll complete the Federal Supplement. If they’re applying for a locally funded voucher, they’ll complete the Local Supplement.
1 Being “matched” means a voucher is available and tentatively set aside for a resident. The resident still needs to apply to the DC Housing Authority to be approved for a voucher. Once approved, the resident will need to find a unit to accept the voucher before then moving in.