Columbus Housing Authority: Clarity, Confidence, and a Modern Way Forward
Just the Facts
Executive Director: William Elton
Location: Columbus, Nebraska
Public Housing Units: 84
Section 8 Units: 100
Former System: HDS
Kanso Software Staff: Dakota Koontz, Andrew Selberg
Staff Size: 3 office staff
Total Annual Time Saved: 780 hours
Key Measurable Outcomes
Tenant Entry: 15–30 minutes saved per household (✔ 50% faster)
Rent Calculation / Tenant Lookup: 3 minutes saved per lookup (✔ ~50–60% faster)
Income & Asset Reviews: 5–10 minutes saved per review (✔ 50–66% faster)
MCTS Reporting: 1 hour saved monthly (✔ process eliminated)
Paper Handling: Potential 50% reduction (✔ from 92% to ~46%)
Overall Daily Usability: From ~30 hours/week to ~15 hours/week (✔ ~50% less time
The Challenge
Before Kanso, Columbus Housing Authority’s operations were overwhelmingly paper-based and held together by habit, memory, and countless manual workflows. With a small staff and a new Executive Director stepping into the role, the weight of legacy processes became visible quickly.
Files from the 80s and 90s lined the office. Paper had become both a comfort and a burden: print, scan, shred, repeat. HDS required extra clicks, roundabout workflows, and often felt disconnected from how modern systems were designed.
“92% of our operations were paper. We’d print something, scan it, shred it, then end up printing it again.” — William Elton.
The challenges added up:
Disconnected workflows with repetitive clicking and manual navigation
Slow tenant entry and rent calculation processes
Heavy paper dependency is taxing staff time and energy
Manual PIC reporting, adding monthly deadlines and handoffs
A new leader inheriting a system that complicates even basic tasks
The Breaking Point
As William stepped into the Executive Director role, he quickly realized the need for clarity, simplicity, and a system that could support, not hinder, not add unnecessary complexity to the learning curve. With multiple transitions, audits, and year-end pressures, he needed a platform that made growth possible.
“If you’re new, this software really shortens the learning curve. You don’t have to make your life harder, there’s enough of that already.” — William Elton.
What We Discovered Together
Through early conversations, it became clear that Columbus Housing Authority needed more than software; they needed a modern operational foundation. Together, we identified key goals:
A system intuitive enough to learn quickly
A single place for occupancy, rent, and reporting workflows
A path away from paper reliance
Support that provides reliable answers, fast
Kanso’s discovery process confirmed the same: simplicity, clarity, and a future-ready platform mattered most.
The Solution
Kanso provided a streamlined, intuitive system designed for real housing authority workflows, not workarounds. By simplifying occupancy, automating reporting, and reducing paper use, the Authority gained the breathing room needed to modernize at its own pace.
Key improvements included:
Clean, intuitive tenant profiles
Streamlined income/assets navigation
Automated PIC monthly reporting
Remote access for flexible work
Support that responds within the same day
“If something used to take 30 minutes, now it takes 15. We’ve cut our time in half.” — William Elton.
Implementation Spotlight: Monthly PIC Reporting
Before: Staff spent about an hour every month printing forms, verifying data between personnel, finalizing details, and filing additional paper copies.
After: Kanso generates all PIC information automatically, no printing, no passing folders, no deadline stress.
Impact: A full hour saved each month and clearer reporting without the paper trail.
Transformation in Action
New Tenant Entry
Before: ~30 minutes. Extra steps, extra screens, and manual inputs slowed the process.
After: ~15 minutes with streamlined navigation and modern UI.
Impact: ✔ 50% faster; 1.25–2.5 hours saved per month.
Rent Calculation & Tenant Lookup
Before: ~5 minutes, sometimes longer with backtracking.
After: ~2 minutes using intuitive search and clean income/assets workflow.
Impact: ✔ ~50–60% faster; smoother in-person conversations.
“I can pull up a tenant and get their info much faster. The workflow just makes sense now.” — William Elton.
Annual Income & Asset Reviews
Before: 10–15 minutes to update household information.
After: ~5 minutes with simplified navigation and predictable structure.
Impact: ✔ 50–66% faster across 6–7 reviews monthly.
Strategic Outcomes
In just a few months, Columbus Housing Authority has shifted from a paper-heavy, click-intensive operation to a clearer, more confident workflow. The change is structural, with less stress, more preparedness, and far more time to focus on residents.
Staff know the information is in one place. Processes feel intuitive, not forced. And William, as a new Executive Director, has the clarity he needs to lead effectively.
“It gives clarity. It helps people relax. You’re prepared for the fires instead of worrying about them.” — William Elton.
Organizationally, the Authority has moved from:
Reactive → Proactive
Paper-bound → Digital-first
Unclear workflows → Predictable structure
Time-consuming processes → Efficient, confident operations
Final Thoughts
What would you say to another Executive Director considering Kanso?
“Yes, I would recommend it. The support is incredible; you’re not waiting days for answers. And you don’t have to fit your organization into the software. With Kanso, you actually get autonomy. It makes the transition easier than you’d expect.” — William Elton.
Conclusion
Columbus Housing Authority didn’t just adopt new software; they gained a calmer, more predictable way of working, where information is easy to find and daily tasks finally feel manageable. With workflows now 50–60% faster and paper use set to drop by half, the team finally has the space to breathe, plan, and move confidently toward a more modern housing operation.
Kanso isn’t just saving time; it’s empowering a new chapter of leadership, learning, and long-term stability for Columbus and the families served.