On August 10, Housing Navigator launched its free affordable housing search tool. The Housing Navigator worked with owners and public sector partners to build a database of income-restricted rental listings from all over the state.
According to the Housing Navigator’s press release on its launch, the housing search platform will raise the experience of searching for affordable housing to be in line with the experience of looking for market-rate apartments on familiar websites like Apartments.com and Trulia.
The first release includes over 2,100 properties and over 160,000 affordable rentals in 260+ cities and towns. There are hundreds more in process. Users may search by their location preference filtering for eligibility, affordability, accessibility, and more. Listings will feature photos, amenities and are mapped to nearby transit.
The Navigator will show basic listings where information from public sources has been confirmed. The site’s “verified listings,” provides renters with additional details supplied by property owners. Additionally, properties newly funded by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and other partner agencies, will be required to list on the site, keeping the statewide inventory consistently up-to-date. Over 3,000 properties across the state have been identified and are in process.
The Housing Navigator will continue to add features to simplify search and resources with deeper information on affordable housing options and the application process. Additional listings will appear on the site as more property owners and managers verify their properties and keep listings accurate and up-to-date.