Transforming Emergency Rental Assistance with Plexos Group and Projexis™ Software

Background:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Government allocated $46 billion to support renters and landlords, preventing widespread homelessness. The US Virgin Islands received $32 million for their Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to be managed by their Housing and Finance Administration (HFA). However, during the 16 months starting March 2020, the program faced significant delays in benefit distribution and high administrative costs. To address these issues, Plexos Group was brought in to provide expert guidance, leadership, resources, and a streamlined case management system. Plexos Group selected Projexis for its rapid deployment, robust security features, process-driven architecture, and powerful reporting capabilities.

The Challenge: The legacy system for managing emergency rental assistance was hindered by several key issues:

1. Excessive regulatory burden.
2. Inconsistent outreach and missed program deadlines.
3. Requirement for applicants to visit centers or endure long phone calls to submit or update applications.
4. Low filing rates and extensive backlogs, without an efficient workflow.
5. Inability to generate timely, accurate reports on case status, productivity, and financials.

Our Solution:

Plexos Group tackled these challenges with a comprehensive strategy:

• Collaborated with the territory to streamline program rules and regulations, eliminating unnecessary data collection and documentation requirements.
• Developed simplified application forms that only request essential information.
• Introduced regulatory agency-approved Sworn Written Statements to address documentation deficiencies.
• Implemented a Landlord and Proxy filing protocol to increase application submission rates.
• Deployed experienced case managers, quality assurance analysts, financial experts, and leadership resources.
• Established clear communication channels to provide timely support.
  
  

With the Projexis™ case management platform, Plexos Group optimized the program's performance in the following areas:

• Case Intake & Prioritization: A tiered intake system ensures high-priority cases are handled first.
• Stage Gate Decisioning: A structured review process involving multiple reviewers ensures accurate claims outcomes.
  
  

About Us

Projexis™ is an agile and highly configurable program management and reporting tool with the power to deliver program workflow efficiency, speed, and accuracy. 

Our innovative system has been successfully used in complex case management projects across the country, such as the U.S. Virgin Island Emergency Rental Assistance Program, U.S.  Virgin Islands Housing  Recovery STEP Program, New York City’s Build it Back Program, Louisiana’s Restore Louisiana Program, North Carolina STEP Program, Deepwater Horizon Economic and Property Damage Settlement Program, among others.