HouseKeys

HouseKeys helps you secure affordable housing.

Using its proprietary software platform, it manages affordable-housing programs for twenty-three local government agencies and more than forty homebuilders. In doing so, it ensures compliance with Inclusionary Zoning laws, transparent selection processes, and fair-housing mandates.

Inclusionary Zoning laws are a critical part of real-estate development. When a builder wants to erect a new construction project, these laws dictate that a percentage of units be established as affordable housing for income-eligible households.

But going through the steps to adhere to these laws is tedious. That’s where HouseKeys can help. Here’s how:

Let’s say a homebuilder wants to build a new construction project containing new homes for rent or sale. And the local government agency has requirements or incentives that make a percentage of those homes affordable at below market rates.

HouseKeys will manage the program for the local agency. It will also list the homes for sale for the homebuilder and help applicants apply for the homes.

Simply put, HouseKeys simplifies the workflows by providing expert services and a proprietary software platform. At the same time, it reduces strain on government planning departments and supports builders in meeting zoning requirements, while connecting affordable homes to eligible buyers and renters.

HouseKeys operates in a growing market, driven by Inclusionary Zoning policies in thirty-one states. This creates a total addressable market (TAM) of $2.3 billion a year.

HouseKeys generates two million dollars annually from recurring contracts and a million dollars from homebuilders. The company has brought in nineteen million dollars in total revenue to-date and supported more than five billion dollars in real-estate projects.

Moving forward, HouseKeys will target regions including California, New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois.

Team Background

Julius Nyanda - Chief Executive Officer

Prior to leading HouseKeys, Julius was Chief Business Officer with Neighborhood Housing Services Silicon Valley, an affordable-housing lender. Before that, he was a mortgage consultant with Homeowner Help Radio.

Earlier, he was a senior-mortgage consultant with Guild Mortgage Company. Prior to that, he was CEO of WealthTrak, a financial-services firm helping working- and middle-class families gain control over their finances.

Julius was CEO of American Funding and Financial Corporation, a personal-finance firm that combined mortgage lending and financial planning, and was an account executive with Ameriquest Mortgage Company, a mortgage lender.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the University of San Francisco.

Kunal Bohra - Lead Engineer

Kunal leads the development of HouseKeys’ software. He has a strong background in enterprise-software development and civic technology.

Previously, he was a software engineer with CancerLinQ, a San Francisco-area startup. Before that, he was a software-development engineer with Jopari Solutions, an IT services company.

Kunal earned a Bachelor’s degree in Management of Information Systems from Winona State University.

Kathy Marusic - Director

Kathy is an experienced broker with a history of working in the program-development industry.

She began her career as an agent with First Choice Real Estate & Lending, before becoming a realtor with A to B Realty.

She then was a community sales manager with Ponderosa Homes, and then spent thirty years as an office manager with Marusic Tile, a home-renovation business.

Co-Investors