How BLDG Partners Uses EliseAI to Increase Affordable Housing Access and Investment Sustainability

BLDG Partners is a Southern California-based real estate investment firm that has distinguished itself since 2010 through a mission-driven approach to infill development and the preservation of workforce and affordable housing. In geographic regions where housing affordability remains one of the most consistent challenges, BLDG Partners operates with a clear vision: leveraging strategic investments in technology and innovative operating models to help increase housing availability while maintaining long-term affordability for working families. At the root of this focus is their commitment to supporting residents through highs and lows, with dedicated, people-focused community managers that serve as the “beacon of trust” for BLDG’s residents. 

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The firm's portfolio spans diverse asset classes, from workforce housing preservation projects to tax credit-financed redevelopments, all unified by BLDG's commitment to creating positive community impact. Working with multiple fee management partners across their portfolio, BLDG Partners has built a reputation for operational excellence and strategic thinking that extends far beyond traditional real estate investment. It was this laser-focus on improving access and affordability with technology that first led them to look at EliseAI.

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As BLDG Partners expanded their portfolio of affordable and workforce housing assets, they faced the challenge that impacts many mission-driven operators: how to scale operations efficiently while maintaining the high-touch, resident-focused service that aligns with their company values. Supporting their residents with empathy and care is a key building block of their impact-focused approach to housing, allowing BLDG Partners team members to build genuine connections with the working families that occupy their communities. But, as BLDG Partners assets are managed by various fee management partners, BLDG needed consistent operational excellence across their entire portfolio to maximize both financial performance and their ability to empathetically serve their residents. 

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The firm identified several key areas and challenges where improved efficiency and consistency could directly translate to better resident outcomes and enhanced asset performance:

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• Persistent staff turnover and inconsistent task completion across different management partners led to varied experiences for residents, particularly during critical touchpoints like rent collection and maintenance requests. 
• High-volume administrative tasks were consuming significant staff time that could be better spent on resident relationship building and community programs, particularly at communities with lean staffing models. 
• Collections processes that, while necessary for asset performance, needed to be handled with greater sensitivity to avoid unnecessarily burdening residents or damaging credit scores.

With these operational constraints in mind, BLDG Partners turned to EliseAI for support in amplifying their mission-driven approach to housing.

BLDG Partners partnered with EliseAI to implement a comprehensive automation strategy across their portfolio, working closely with their various fee management partners to ensure consistent, high-quality resident experiences regardless of which firm handled day-to-day operations. 

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Today, LeasingAI serves as the first point of contact for prospective residents, ensuring that every inquiry receives immediate, professional attention even during evenings and weekends when affordable housing seekers often have time to research options. This 24/7 availability has been particularly impactful for working families who can't call during traditional business hours, allowing BLDG to convert leads-to-applications at a 7% rate and turning 3% of leads to leases.

ResidentAI handles routine resident communications with empathy and efficiency, freeing onsite teams to focus on more complex resident needs and community building initiatives. The platform's multilingual capabilities ensure that BLDG's diverse resident base receives support in their preferred language—a crucial feature to better serve multicultural communities.

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The Delinquency product has transformed BLDG's approach to rent collection, enabling earlier intervention with personalized communication that helps residents avoid late fees and collections proceedings. By automating gentle payment reminders and offering multiple communication channels, the system has driven collection rates up across their assets by 1005bps.

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The implementation of EliseAI across BLDG Partners' portfolio has delivered results that align perfectly with their dual focus on financial performance and social impact. Improved collections efficiency and reduced delinquency rates have strengthened NOI across the portfolio, providing BLDG with more resources to reinvest in property improvements and affordability preservation. Standardized AI-powered communications ensure that residents receive the same high-quality experience across all assets, regardless of which fee management partner oversees daily operations. And the automation of routine tasks means the onsite teams at BLDG’s various fee managers can dedicate more time to resident services, community programming, and the relationship-building that makes affordable housing communities thrive.

BLDG Partners' success with EliseAI demonstrates how thoughtfully implemented technology can amplify rather than replace the human-centered approach that defines excellent affordable housing operations. By automating routine processes and improving operational efficiency, AI enables mission-driven firms like BLDG Partners to scale their positive impact while maintaining the personalized service that residents deserve.

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The firm continues to explore new ways to leverage technology in service of their mission, always with the understanding that in affordable housing, every efficiency gain represents an opportunity to better serve working families and strengthen communities. Cheers to BLDG Partners as they continue to define what excellence looks like in affordable housing operations.