Enabling young talent at Hacienda CDC to build better housing

“I really believe that structure creates space for creativity. Some of the best ideas come from the right combination of people having the time and space needed to think imaginatively.”
— Kevin Kellogg, Director of Real Estate Development

Customer Type: Non-Profit

Team Size: 5 People

Portfolio: 400+ Units

Portfolio: 9 Projects

Hacienda uses Builders Patch to help their enthusiastic but young team members get up to speed quickly with an established blueprint of the development process.

Founded in the late 1980s, Hacienda is a non-profit Community Development Corporation designed specifically for the Latino community in Portland, Oregon. Initially a neighborhood advocacy program, it later developed affordable housing for local communities. Hacienda now offers affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement, educational opportunities, family and youth services, real estate development, and more.

Hacienda designs and builds housing with public purpose and well-being in mind for underserved communities in Portland. They prioritize structure and creativity, emphasizing innovative solutions to the biggest issues facing communities today.

Valuable time wasted not having a management tool

Kevin Kellogg, as the development department’s director, recognized the need for a digital tool to manage Hacienda’s growing development pipeline. Historically, they spent significant time managing files and documents. Kevin's philosophy is that the quickest way to demotivate a high-performing team is to engage them in repetitive manual tasks.

Focus on talent acquisition and team dynamics

To attract senior real estate talent in Portland, Hacienda aimed to enhance their management platform to allow newer team members to learn quickly. The simplification of the development process was essential, creating accessible frameworks for understanding complex tasks.

Kevin encourages a culture of creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking, seeking technology that structures tasks while promoting innovative approaches to development.

Builders Patch offers a tailored solution

Kevin discovered Builders Patch, which provided a comprehensive system representing the developer mindset. Their software includes project analytics, document storage, and collaborative tools.

Through Builders Patch, documents are now organized, making it possible to streamline diligence processes, improving efficiency and reducing time spent on mundane tasks.

Focusing on creativity in housing development

Hacienda’s development team benefits from Builders Patch allowing them to prioritize innovation over admin tasks. According to Kevin, creative, imaginative problem-solving is essential for improving housing standards.

Builders Patch enabled the organization of data to be clear and easily distributable across various stakeholders. They could produce comprehensive underwriting memos from previously cumbersome spreadsheets.

Overall, Builders Patch has streamlined the process considerably, allowing Hacienda to manage less and build more, addressing the challenges in affordable housing head-on.