Collier affordable housing nonprofit launching portal to ease searches

The Housing Alliance, a Collier County-based organization focused on affordable housing, is using a $100,000 grant to create a portal that will make it easier for those in need to find places to live.

The organization, in a statement, says the funding from the Collier Community Foundation is a catalyst and that it has launched a matching gift campaign to double the amount.

What the grant money will go toward is the creation of Housing Compass, an “online platform designed to address critical gaps in data accuracy, accessibility and availability of income-restricted housing across” the county, the organization says.

Housing Compass will make it easier to access accommodations “by streamlining the search process for available units,” The Housing Alliance says in the statement.

“Users will be able to filter listings by area median income, location, and unit size — making it significantly easier and faster to identify suitable housing options. The portal will feature real-time data, providing up-to-date inventory and availability.”

The portal will also provide access to resources and allow an affiliate program, HELP, to manage cases.

It is expected to launch early next year.

The Housing Alliance is a private nonprofit whose goal is to be a hub and resource for housing in the county. According to its 2023 Form 990 posted on the nonprofit research company Candid GuideStar’s website, The Housing Alliance had $130,000 in total assets.