Washington StateWeb-Based Annual Reporting SystemA powerful online tool for annual reporting, compliance monitoring and asset management

NCSHA 2015 Annual ConferenceMelissa A. Donahue, Manager

Asset Management & Compliance Division

Property managers & owners can easily meet reporting requirements

Funders have powerful oversight tools

What is WBARS?

WBARS: A coordinated web-based reporting system for affordable-housing properties

Data informs decision makers on issues of policy, funding, etc.

Why does it matter?

• Holds extensive data on over 1,700 affordable rental

properties with more than 90,000 units

• Most paperwork eliminated

• Saves hours of staff time for funders, owners, managers

• Over 95% of all annual reports submitted on time

• Data can be uploaded from property mgmt. software

• Data successfully annually uploaded to HUD

Guiding Objectives for a New System

Reduce paperwork

Improve report accuracy

Meet funders’ contractual needs

Automate calculations

Streamline reporting and auditing efforts

Facilitate information exchange

Create a replicable model for other entities

Groundwork

Primary funders and system owners:• WSHFC• Washington State Department of Commerce

Other participating public funders:• Cities of Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and Bellingham• King and Snohomish counties

Property Mgmt. software companies which upload to WBARS:o BostonPost (MRI)o Yardio E-siteo RealPage

WBARS Partners

Table 1 – Rent roll with max and actual incomes, rents, subsidies, utilities, set-aside limits, individual demographic data

Tables 2 and 3 – Aggregated demographics (e.g. race, ethnicity, and disability status; HOME report info and other special-needs categories)

Table 4 – Property income, expenses, reserves, and performance indicators

Reports

Public funders conduct joint annual report training sessions

How do users understand WBARS?

for owners & managers

Public funders relay WBARS information via their websites and at regional conferences

• Eliminate paperwork

• Upload from their own property management software systems

• Easily check compliance with any funders in the system

• Track asset management-related performance measures across portfolio

• System supports income/rent requirements of each funder & identifies

overlapping requirements

BeforeSeparate reports required for projects with multiple funders

NowData can be entered all

at once into WBARS

Benefits for Owners/Property Managers

• Improved accuracy & ease of reporting

• Easily retrieve property information (property income, expenses, etc.)

Speeds up compliance monitoring and financial reviews

• Easily compile data to answer public accountability questions

• All funders being shown the same data, can respond collectively

• Contact data for affordable housing providers state-wide

Allows users to update their information themselves

Benefits for Funders

Provide more accurate data & information on WA State housing

Policy influencers State/federal legislators

Stakeholders

Comprehensive statewidehousing needs study

Assessment of the state’s affordable housing portfolio

Benefits for Decision Makers

• August 2015 - WBARS data directly led to Seattle low income residents getting automatically enrolled in utility discount program

oReduce utility bills = reduce housing costso Help City solve under-enrollment in the program

• Estimated 5,000 households enrolled, discounts up to 50%

• Average yearly savings per household: $800

Utility Discount Partnership

Additional Benefits

1. Shared qualifying addresses with Seattle City Light 2. City Light cross-checked addresses for already enrolled individuals3. Auto-enrolled the rest

Utility Discount PartnershipBenefits

City: UDP enrollments jumped from 64% of goal to 82% of goal

WSHFC: 5,000 low income households have reduced housing costs

Win-Win:

Melissa A. Donahue, ManagerAsset Management & Compliance Division

Washington State Housing Finance CommissionMelissa.Donahue@wshfc.org

206-287-4444

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