An illustration of five people standing in front of a digitized fence. They are all facing a digital fence that is blocking their path to blue high rise homes. Some of the homes have have lights on inside and "Apt. Available" signs in orange. There is a closed fence door.

Under the Lens

How Tech is Changing Housing

Shelterforce’s new Under the Lens series explores the growing use of technology in the housing world. Can the proper guardrails be put in place so “innovative” tools don’t make the housing crisis worse?

Tech’s Rising Influence on Housing

June 10, 2025 | Lillian M. Ortiz

Shelterforce's Lillian Ortiz explains what you can expect in our new Under the Lens series—How Tech Is Changing Housing.
An illustration of five people standing in front of a digitized fence. They are all facing a digital fence that is blocking their path to blue high rise homes. Some of the homes have have lights on inside and "Apt. Available" signs in orange. There is a closed fence door.

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A person wearing glasses sits at a table with his hands on the keyboard of a laptop. On the screen is a denial for an application
Reported Article

Tenant Screening: A Billion-Dollar Industry with Little Oversight. What’s Being Done to Protect Renters?

June 11, 2025 | Amanda Abrams

Thousands of companies offer tenant screening tools that promise to make life easier for landlords and property managers. But reports show that the data these companies use is often riddled with errors and relies on information that has no bearing on whether someone will be a good tenant.

Closeup of a young woman in a yellow sweater and white shirt using her smartphone while sitting on a sofa in a bright living room.
Reported Article

Tech Tools Help Tenants Push Back Against Problematic Landlords

June 17, 2025 | Sandra Larson

We’ve found more than a dozen examples of tenant-serving technology that help renters identify landlords, respond to eviction, fight back against housing discrimination, and more.

A black man, who is wearing glasses and holding a black and white tablet, speaks from a podium. He is wearing a yellow shirt and a brown striped jacket. In front the podium is a purple sign that reads, Responsible AI Symposium.
Reported Article

Training AI to Tackle Bias in the Mortgage Industry

June 19, 2025 | Frances Nguyen

As the mortgage industry becomes further automated, can artificial intelligence be trained to avoid replicating historic bias and expand access to loans for excluded borrowers? Some housing advocates are cautiously optimistic.

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