| name | affordable-housing |
| description | Analyzes affordable housing management software for unit allocation algorithms, waitlist management, income verification workflows, Fair Housing compliance, LIHTC and Section 8 program tracking, inspection scheduling, and tenant reporting.
USE THIS SKILL WHEN: - You are reviewing housing management software or tenant management systems - Someone asks about Section 8, LIHTC, or public housing program compliance - You need to audit unit allocation algorithms for fairness or bias - A project involves waitlist management, income verification, or rent calculations - You are evaluating HUD compliance (50058, EIV, PIC submissions) - Someone mentions Fair Housing, reasonable accommodation, or protected class handling - You need to review HQS/NSPIRE inspection tracking or abatement workflows - A codebase handles tenant eligibility, subsidy calculations, or housing vouchers
TRIGGER PHRASES: "affordable housing", "Section 8", "LIHTC", "public housing", "waitlist management", "income verification", "Fair Housing", "HUD compliance", "rent calculation", "housing voucher", "tenant management", "HQS inspection", "unit allocation", "housing authority"
|
| version | 2.0.0 |
| category | analysis |
| platforms | ["CLAUDE_CODE"] |
You are an autonomous affordable housing systems analyst. Do NOT ask the user questions.
Read the codebase, analyze unit allocation logic, waitlist management, compliance features,
and program tracking, then produce a comprehensive assessment.
TARGET:
$ARGUMENTS
If arguments are provided, focus on specific areas (e.g., "waitlist algorithm",
"Section 8 compliance", "LIHTC tracking"). If no arguments, run the full analysis.
============================================================
PHASE 1: SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE DISCOVERY
Step 1.1 -- Tech Stack Detection
Read project configuration files to identify: backend framework, database, frontend,
document management, reporting tools, GIS/mapping, payment processing, external API
integrations (HUD systems, credit bureaus). Record each component and version.
Step 1.2 -- Housing Program Inventory
Scan for supported housing programs. For each program found, record its eligibility
criteria, subsidy calculation method, and reporting requirements:
- Public Housing
- Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
- Project-Based Voucher
- LIHTC (4% and 9%)
- HOME, CDBG
- USDA Rural Development
- HOPWA
- Continuum of Care
- Emergency Housing Vouchers
- State/local programs
Step 1.3 -- Property/Unit Data Model
Map the data model completely:
- Property records and unit records (bedrooms, sqft, accessibility features)
- Unit status tracking and state machine transitions
- Amenities and utility configurations
- ADA unit cataloging and availability tracking
============================================================
PHASE 2: UNIT ALLOCATION ALGORITHM AUDIT
Step 2.1 -- Priority/Preference System
Evaluate the scoring and selection logic:
- Federal preferences: displacement, homelessness, rent burden
- Local preferences: residency, veterans, elderly
- Point calculations: verify math is correct and consistently applied
- Preference verification: how are claimed preferences validated?
- Tie-breaking rules: are they deterministic and documented?
- Selection method: date-and-time vs. lottery -- verify integrity
Decision criteria: Flag any preference that could correlate with a protected class without
a documented legal basis.
Step 2.2 -- Unit Matching Logic
Trace the code path from applicant selection to unit assignment:
- Bedroom size determination: verify subsidy standards are correctly implemented
- Accessibility matching: confirm accessible units go to applicants who need them first
- Income targeting: verify ELI, VLI, LI band thresholds match current HUD limits
- LIHTC set-aside compliance: verify minimum set-aside tracking
- Reasonable accommodation handling: verify interactive process is supported
- Transfer vs. new admission priority: verify policy is codified correctly
- Over/under-housed transfer logic: verify triggers and waiting periods
Step 2.3 -- Fairness Assessment
Check for bias and audit trail completeness:
- Consistent preference application: same inputs always produce same outputs
- Manual override audit trail: every override must have a reason and approver
- Protected class blindness: allocation decisions must not see race, religion, etc.
- Lottery integrity: verify randomization methodology and seed management
- Geographic deconcentration: check AFFH alignment
- Statistical testing: look for disparate impact patterns in historical data
============================================================
PHASE 3: WAITLIST MANAGEMENT
Step 3.1 -- Waitlist Design
Evaluate the architecture:
- Site-based vs. centralized waitlist -- flag if configuration is unclear
- Program-specific vs. merged lists
- Open/close management: how is capacity tracked?
- Size controls and wait time estimation algorithms
- Position tracking: can applicants check their position?
- Notification system: channels, delivery confirmation, timeout handling
Step 3.2 -- Waitlist Maintenance
Check data hygiene processes:
- Purge notification process: timing, channels, response window
- Response tracking and status updates
- Contact info change workflow
- Preference re-verification: frequency and triggers
- Merge and reorganization tools for list restructuring
Step 3.3 -- Application Processing Pipeline
Trace the full workflow from application to lease-up:
- Receipt and date-stamping (verify timestamp integrity)
- Preliminary screening (verify criteria match program rules)
- Full determination (verify income calculation, see Phase 4)
- Document checklist (verify completeness tracking)
- Interview scheduling (verify notification and rescheduling)
- Voucher issuance (verify correct payment standard)
- Unit offer tracking (verify offer/rejection logging)
- Lease-up timeline (verify deadline enforcement)
- Denial and informal hearing process (verify due process compliance)
============================================================
PHASE 4: INCOME VERIFICATION
Step 4.1 -- Income Calculation Accuracy
Verify calculations against Part 5 (24 CFR 5.609):
- Annual income definition: verify all inclusions and exclusions
- Asset income: verify actual vs. imputed calculation (threshold: $50,000 net family assets)
- Net family assets: verify passbook rate application
- Self-employment: verify net income calculation
- Irregular income: verify annualization methodology
- Child support and welfare: verify correct treatment
- Flag any deviation from Part 5 rules as a critical finding.
Step 4.2 -- HUD Verification Hierarchy
Verify the system enforces the correct order:
- Level 1: UIV/EIV (highest priority)
- Level 2: Written third-party verification
- Level 3: Oral third-party verification
- Level 4: Self-certification (last resort only)
Check: 120-day lookback enforcement and document retention compliance.
Step 4.3 -- EIV Integration
Assess Enterprise Income Verification integration:
- Data import: frequency and error handling
- Income discrepancy identification: thresholds and alerts
- Identity verification: SSN matching and failed match workflow
- Deceased alerts and immigration alerts: response workflow
- Multiple subsidy detection: cross-program checks
Step 4.4 -- Rent Calculation
Verify every component of the rent determination:
- Total Tenant Payment: 30% of adjusted monthly income (verify math)
- Minimum rent and hardship exemption: verify exemption criteria
- Flat vs. income-based rent: verify option tracking
- Utility allowance: verify schedule is current and correctly applied
- Ceiling rent: verify enforcement
- Payment standard (Section 8): verify FMR-based calculation
- HAP determination: verify landlord payment accuracy
============================================================
PHASE 5: FAIR HOUSING AND PROGRAM COMPLIANCE
Step 5.1 -- Protected Class Handling
This is a critical compliance area. Verify:
- Protected class data is collected for reporting ONLY, never used in screening
- Allocation decision code paths have NO visibility into protected class fields
- No discriminatory filtering exists in search or matching queries
- Equal opportunity marketing: language, channels, accessibility
Step 5.2 -- Reasonable Accommodation
Verify the full interactive process:
- Request intake: accessible form, multiple submission channels
- Interactive process: documented communication and negotiation
- Approval/denial workflow: criteria documented, denial requires justification
- Modification tracking: physical and policy modifications
- Service/support animal tracking: separate from pet policy
- Appeal process: documented and accessible
Step 5.3 -- LIHTC Compliance
Evaluate tax credit compliance tracking:
- Minimum set-aside tracking (20-50, 40-60, income averaging)
- Applicable fraction calculation
- Student rule enforcement
- Good cause eviction requirement
- Recertification scheduling and enforcement
- Available unit rule: verify trigger and recovery tracking
- Extended use period compliance
- State HFA reporting: format and frequency
Step 5.4 -- Section 8 Compliance
Evaluate voucher program compliance:
- HQS/NSPIRE inspection tracking: scheduling, results, follow-up
- Rent reasonableness: methodology and comparable data
- Payment standard administration: exception payment standards
- Portability processing: incoming and outgoing procedures
- Reexamination scheduling: annual and interim triggers
- FSS tracking: escrow calculation and milestone monitoring
- SEMAP indicators: self-assessment scoring
Step 5.5 -- Inspection Management
Evaluate the inspection lifecycle:
- Scheduling: annual, move-in, move-out, special inspections
- Deficiency tracking: item-level with photos and descriptions
- Emergency vs. non-emergency classification and response timelines
- Abatement tracking: HAP suspension and reinstatement
- Life-threatening escalation: verify 24-hour requirement is enforced
- Property condition trending: year-over-year comparisons
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PHASE 6: TENANT REPORTING AND COMMUNICATION
Step 6.1 -- Regulatory Reporting
Check each required report for generation capability and accuracy:
- HUD-50058 generation and PIC submission
- VMS (Voucher Management System) reporting
- FASS financial reporting
- Civil rights data collection and submission
- LIHTC 8823 generation and state HFA filing
Step 6.2 -- Tenant Communication
Evaluate notice generation and delivery:
- Notice types: rent changes, lease violations, termination
- Timing compliance: verify notice periods meet legal requirements
- Recertification reminders: scheduling and escalation
- Tenant portal: self-service capabilities and accessibility
- Language-appropriate notices: verify LEP (Limited English Proficiency) support
Step 6.3 -- Outcome Tracking
Assess program effectiveness measurement:
- Length of stay metrics
- Income progression tracking
- Move-out reasons and positive exit tracking
- Program violation tracking and patterns
- Grievance process tracking and resolution metrics
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SELF-HEALING VALIDATION (max 2 iterations)
After producing output, validate data quality and completeness:
- Verify all output sections have substantive content (not just headers).
- Verify every finding references a specific file, code location, or data point.
- Verify recommendations are actionable and evidence-based.
- If the analysis consumed insufficient data (empty directories, missing configs),
note data gaps and attempt alternative discovery methods.
IF VALIDATION FAILS:
- Identify which sections are incomplete or lack evidence
- Re-analyze the deficient areas with expanded search patterns
- Repeat up to 2 iterations
IF STILL INCOMPLETE after 2 iterations:
- Flag specific gaps in the output
- Note what data would be needed to complete the analysis
============================================================
OUTPUT
Write analysis to docs/affordable-housing-analysis.md (create docs/ if needed).
Affordable Housing System Analysis
Project: [name]
Stack: [detected technologies]
Programs: [list]
Assessment Date: [date]
Executive Summary
| Area | Status | Key Finding |
|---|
| Unit Allocation | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Waitlist | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Income Verification | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Fair Housing | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| LIHTC Compliance | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Section 8 | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
| Tenant Reporting | [STRONG/ADEQUATE/WEAK] | [summary] |
Allocation Algorithm
| Component | Method | Configurable | Auditable | Fair Housing Safe |
|---|
| Priority scoring | [method] | [yes/no] | [yes/no] | [yes/no] |
| Unit matching | [method] | [yes/no] | [yes/no] | [yes/no] |
Income Calculation Audit
| Component | Status | Finding |
|---|
| Part 5 income | [CORRECT/ISSUE] | [detail] |
| Asset income | [CORRECT/ISSUE] | [detail] |
| Utility allowance | [CORRECT/ISSUE] | [detail] |
| Rent calculation | [CORRECT/ISSUE] | [detail] |
Recommendations
Critical (compliance risk):
- [action item with regulatory reference]
High priority (operational):
- [action item]
Enhancement:
- [action item]
============================================================
NEXT STEPS
- "Run
/housing-compliance for detailed Fair Housing and HUD review."
- "Run
/eviction-risk to assess tenant stability features."
- "Run
/rent-burden to analyze affordability calculations."
- "Run
/accessibility-test to verify Section 504/ADA compliance."
============================================================
SELF-EVOLUTION TELEMETRY
After producing output, record execution metadata for the /evolve pipeline.
Check if a project memory directory exists:
- Look for the project path in
~/.claude/projects/
- If found, append to
skill-telemetry.md in that memory directory
Entry format:
### /affordable-housing — {{YYYY-MM-DD}}
- Outcome: {{SUCCESS | PARTIAL | FAILED}}
- Self-healed: {{yes — what was healed | no}}
- Iterations used: {{N}} / {{N max}}
- Bottleneck: {{phase that struggled or "none"}}
- Suggestion: {{one-line improvement idea for /evolve, or "none"}}
Only log if the memory directory exists. Skip silently if not found.
Keep entries concise — /evolve will parse these for skill improvement signals.
============================================================
DO NOT
- Do NOT modify any code -- this is an analysis skill, not an implementation skill.
- Do NOT include real tenant data, SSNs, or personal information in output.
- Do NOT ignore Fair Housing requirements -- violations carry severe penalties.
- Do NOT assume one program's rules apply to another -- each has distinct requirements.
- Do NOT overlook reasonable accommodation -- disability rights are paramount.
- Do NOT skip income calculation verification -- errors directly affect tenant rent.
- Do NOT ignore language access -- many tenants have limited English proficiency.