The Company

The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara (HASBARCO) was established in 1941 and serves the areas of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc and Santa Maria. The agency provides rental units for low-income individuals and families, as well as rental assistance for households renting in the private sector. Of the 5,466 households served, 4,057 receive assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher program. HASBARCO continues to expand its impact with new construction and acquisition development activities throughout the county. 

The Challenge 

Disconnected systems and paper processes 

Before implementing Yardi, HASBARCO relied on paper-based workflows and manual processes that slowed communication. Teams exchanged transmittals by hand to keep finance informed, which often resulted in delays and difficulty tracking items. Later, when HASBARCO’s portfolio expanded to include multiple types of housing — each with unique reporting and compliance requirements — the challenge of managing separate systems began to take a toll.  

“We were paper-focused using an antiquated software system, and it was time-consuming,” recalled Juan Garcia, director of information technology at HASBARCO. 

The Solution 

Yardi Voyager PHA 

After extensive research on other systems, HASBARCO selected Yardi as its solution for end-to-end property management. Voyager PHA empowers the agency to streamline their workflows and free up staff time. “Voyager is critical for managing multiple layered programs within a single building, including Affordable Tax Credits, Housing Choice Vouchers, CDBG and more. It helps keep everything organized and running smoothly,” Garcia said.  

The Story 

From antiquated system and manual processing to intuitive software 
HASBARCO transitioned from paper to a fully digital environment with the help of Voyager. The intuitive software allows staff to easily manage complex housing programs in compliance with multiple funding sources. “Paper is a thing of the past,” Garcia noted. “It’s a process to get away from paper, but it’s the right thing to do.” 

Financial processes, including Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) disbursements, are automated with Voyager. “As soon as we run a 58, finance is immediately notified about HAP payments,” Garcia added. This streamlines communication between departments and ensures everyone works with the same data. 

A single solution that works seamlessly between departments   
With Yardi’s integrated platform, HASBARCO expanded its program with greater efficiency and collaboration across departments.  
“Having one unified software makes it easier for our staff to learn and grow in their roles,” Garcia said. “You have everything in one package, and it works seamlessly from one product to another.”  

An example of this is the agency’s use of Case Manager to assign and track tasks from start to finish. “It’s dynamic enough that you can send documents from one department to another, moving through pre-approvals and approvals,” Garcia explained. “You can easily assign cases to anyone on your team, so the accountability is there. Everyone always knows which department the case is currently in.” 

Streamlined unit turns 
At HASBARCO, Maintenance IQ is a game-changer for turning over vacant units. “You’re not working with past data. You’re working with live data,” said Garcia. “I can log in and see exactly how many vacancies we have coming up.”  

He emphasized how the Maintenance IQ dashboard clearly displays the most up-to-date information, allowing staff to track progress in real time. “The unit turn timeline is priceless,” he added. “When someone is put on notice in Voyager, that automatically syncs with Maintenance IQ.” This integration ensures that maintenance staff can start preparing units as soon as possible, reducing downtime and getting homes ready for their next tenants.