FEMA Housing Operations Tracking System (HOTS)

When disaster strikes, FEMA’s traditional housing process often becomes overwhelmed at a time when speed and accuracy are critical. We developed the Housing Operations Tracking System (HOTS) to transform this process. By digitizing FEMA’s Temporary Housing Lifecycle, HOTS streamlines the entire operation, from inspections and installations to ongoing maintenance, delivering higher quality data and improving coordination across stakeholders.

With traditional methods requiring extensive labor and prone to manual errors, the HOTS platform was a much-needed innovation. It optimizes every stage of temporary housing operations, providing FEMA and its partners tools that improve data accuracy, increase oversight and reduce operational bottlenecks. This digital solution helps FEMA deploy resources faster, enabling communities to recover more efficiently.

Why Digital Technology?

HOTS digitizes and automates many labor-intensive steps, drastically cutting down on data entry needs and minimizing human error. With HOTS, the focus shifts to swift, data-driven decision making, allowing FEMA to respond to multiple, simultaneous disasters with confidence.

The Challenge

Creating HOTS while simultaneously responding to active disasters was no small feat. We had to balance development with the demands of ongoing recovery efforts, all within the constraints of a limited budget and phased funding approvals from FEMA. Through agile work processes, rigorous testing and careful planning, we overcame these hurdles to deliver a reliable, adaptable platform.

Key Digital Deliverables

Inspection Result PDFs: Digitally streamlined, reducing manual input errors.

Cost Proposal Requests: Automated for faster, more accurate submissions.

Advanced Reporting: Providing comprehensive, real-time data for effective decision making.

HOTS Core Modules and Benefits

1. Inspections

HOTS starts with the inspection process, importing FEMA data directly from PDFs, which significantly reduces the need for manual data entry. Geocoded inspections offer enhanced assignment and monitoring capabilities.

Benefit: Higher data accuracy, less manual work and real-time operational insights.

2. Workload Management

Users can efficiently review and assign inspections using map and table views to group inspections geographically for optimal assignment and reduced travel time.

Benefit: Efficient resource allocation, reduced downtime and seamless handling of concurrent events.

3. MHOTS Mobile App

This mobile app replaces paper-based processes allowing inspectors to document activities, schedule appointments and complete inspections with photos and signatures, even in low-connectivity areas.

Benefit: Greater efficiency, fewer errors and uninterrupted operations, even in remote areas.

4. Installation Tracking

The system tracks housing unit installations from start to finish, providing real-time status updates and quality control checks.

Benefit: Streamlined installation processes, improved contractor coordination and real-time updates for better management.

5. Maintenance Tracking

HOTS tracks maintenance requests and unit removals, ensuring compliance and accountability throughout the lifecycle of temporary housing.

Benefit: Comprehensive oversight, timely documentation and enhanced accountability for ongoing maintenance needs.

6. Management Dashboards

Customizable Power BI dashboards offer mission-specific insights, displaying key metrics and geographical information about inspections and installations.

Benefit: Immediate access to mission-critical data and the ability to tailor views to specific operational needs.

7. Administrative Modules

HOTS handles clock stop requests, cost proposals and other administrative tasks, ensuring they’re properly authorized and tracked for accurate reporting.

Benefit: Streamlined administrative management, improved tracking and precise cost control.

HOTS represents a critical leap forward in disaster recovery management. By integrating cutting-edge digital tools, we’ve helped FEMA streamline housing operations, making it faster, more accurate and more adaptable to the demands of disaster response. Communities benefit from more efficient resource allocation and improved living conditions, while FEMA gains the ability to deploy temporary housing more quickly and effectively. With HOTS, we’re not just improving operations—we’re strengthening the entire disaster recovery process for a more resilient future.