Government Partner:
Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina, with a diverse population of over 900,000 residents. The City of Charlotte serves residents, businesses, and visitors with local government resources, services, and information. Beginning in 2023, Charlotte selected CiviForm, an open source government services application tool as an streamlining digital solution to move the city towards an universal “one-stop shop” application and triage system.
The Challenge:
Residents in Charlotte face significant barriers similar to other jurisdictions to accessing essential services, with a fragmented system of paper applications and informal referrals. The vision city employees have is to create a streamlined, universal application and triage system that connects residents to resources quickly and improves collaboration between the city and the community.
In 2021, after reading The Time Tax article, a city leader was inspired to launch an initiative that led to the creation of an Innovation Lab. This collaborative effort brings together the city, local libraries, and community-based organizations. Through careful consideration of available digital tools, Charlotte identified CiviForm as best suited for its goals.
As the open source steward of CiviForm, Exygy has a depth of understanding of the product and the work required to deploy it alongside government. Our approach is rooted in close collaboration and our belief that the digital transformation work that takes place around the platform is essential for the technology to serve as sustainable infrastructure for years to come.
The Approach
Building Bridges with Stakeholders
The Charlotte team engaged closely with a variety of stakeholders, including the Housing Department, County Housing Department, and community-based organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. By working alongside these partners and leveraging CiviForm as a central platform, they ensured the digital solution aligned with both resident needs and service provider requirements. By interviewing other governments using Civiform, including the City of Seattle and the City of Bloomington, and leveraging insights from experts like Google.org, Charlotte strengthened their approach and refined their strategy.
Digging Deeper: Research & Discovery
In-depth research revealed that the current housing application system was fragmented, relying on paper forms and informal referrals. This led to the decision to create a universal housing application using CiviForm, which consolidated eligibility information from multiple programs into one simplified process. This solution was key in making the application process more accessible, effective, and compassionate for applicants and program staff.
Crafting the Future: Design & Development
The team began mapping out the design for a universal housing application using CiviForm, ensuring it met eligibility requirements for multiple programs. A triage system was also developed to ensure that applications were directed to the right department based on staffing, funding, and program fit. CiviForm’s open-source platform enabled the team to adapt and scale, allowing Charlotte to start small with their three housing programs and plan for future expansion. Usability was a key focus, aiming to make the application process much simpler and accessible compared to the previous reliance on paper and word-of-mouth referrals. Scalability was also a consideration, ensuring the system could handle future growth and accommodate multiple housing programs.
Collaboration at Its Best
Charlotte’s approach involved working directly with community-based organizations, ensuring the final product addressed the specific needs of residents. Learning from other government agencies using Civiform, the team continuously iterated on their design, incorporating feedback from a wide range of partners.The ongoing process remains iterative, with the team planning to expand and improve the system by starting small and building momentum.
The Impact:
Ready for Takeoff: A Strong Foundation Laid
Three city programs are set to launch, marking the beginning of a major shift from paper-based to digital services. Behind the scenes, five additional programs are waiting in the wings, poised to launch after the initial success. Partnerships with 20 city departments, the County, and numerous community-based organizations set the stage for even broader impact.
Momentum Building: Excitement and Engagement
The City Innovation Team led 21 demo meetings and 2 user testing days under our belt resulting in increased buy-in an trust from partner agencies and organizations.excitement Program admins have been trained and are ready for the digital transition, and feedback from residents and CBOs is shaping the tool to meet real community needs. Thanks to the leadership of Rachel Stark, Megan Hussey and the team at the City of Charlotte, they are building strong, collaborative momentum for the project’s launch.
Ready for Growth: A Future-Proof Approach
As Charlotte continues to scale its digital services, the lessons learned during this pre-launch phase will ensure a smooth transition for future growth. CiviForm’s open-source platform and emphasis on cross-departmental collaboration will lay the groundwork for even more ambitious initiatives. With the right partnerships and continuous iteration, Charlotte is ready for long-term success and innovation leadership.
View our webinar which highlighted the benefits of using open source technology for government services and hear from the city of Charlotte.
