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Montana Housing, the state’s affordable housing finance agency, plays a vital role in supporting the development and preservation of housing across Montana. For years, the agency operated with an intricate system of spreadsheets, OneDrive folders, and SharePoint sites to manage its deal flow and compliance operations.
While the internal team had built a remarkably organized structure, the limitations of a manual system became more apparent as the agency expanded its role.
“We had everything in one massive spreadsheet,” shared Bruce Brensdal, Multifamily Program Officer, who led Montana Housing for almost two decades. “It worked for a long time, but as we grew, it became overwhelming and left us vulnerable to human error.”
The risks weren’t just theoretical.
“We nearly closed a loan that exceeded our LTV limit because the change wasn’t caught in time,” added Jason Hanson, Multifamily (LIHTC) Program Manager. “That was a wake-up call.”
The Search for a Scalable, Smart Platform
Montana Housing began exploring digital solutions to eliminate duplication, reduce risk, and gain better visibility into project data but found that most commercial tools fell short of their needs.
“We looked at other platforms, but they didn’t really get affordable housing finance and support was slow,” Jason noted. “With some vendors, you wait days or even weeks to get a response. With Builders Patch, we hear back within the hour. That’s a game-changer.”
It was during a conference that Montana Housing reconnected with Builders Patch.
“We saw the demo and were immediately impressed,” Jason said. “It was tailored to our world, and the team clearly understood our challenges.“
The implementation process was intentionally paced to ensure buy-in and accuracy at every step. Builders Patch collaborated with the Montana Housing team to configure the system around their existing workflows, including review protocols and document workflows.
“We appreciated the flexibility of onboarding with Builders Patch,” Bruce said. “It didn’t feel like we were being forced into someone else’s model.”
One major improvement: consistency.
“Everything is now in the deal shell,” Bruce shared. “It’s consistent from project to project, unlike the old folder system that changed year to year. We’re no longer wasting time searching for documents. That becomes more valuable the further down the road we go.”
By early 2025, the system was live, just in time for the agency’s 9% LIHTC competitive round of applications. A major milestone given the complexity and volume of the task.
This gave Montana Housing a complete historical view of past and present projects. Tools for tasks, conversations, and team processes, embedded directly alongside deal data and deliverables, tightened workflows and reduced bottlenecks.
Bruce Brensdal noted that the AI tools are already opening new possibilities: “We’re just starting to tap into the AI. Being able to extract data for reporting is going to improve how we work and help build useful reporting efficiently and without errors.”
Throughout the rollout, weekly meetings and hands-on training ensured that every stakeholder felt supported. External training with Builders Patch proved especially effective, allowing developers to ask questions in real time while working inside the system.
“The support has been outstanding,” Bruce added. “That’s not something you usually get. Builders Patch is fast, thoughtful, and listens. That made all the difference.”
One of the biggest wins for Montana Housing has been Builders Patch’s ability to simplify and connect workflows. By using standardized checklists with in-context comments and assignments, the team and their developer partners can collaborate directly inside the system, no more scattered notes or lengthy email chains.
“We can leave remarks directly in the checklist, right where the item lives,” Jesse Ennis, Multifamily Program Specialist, explained. “That cuts down on confusion and helps developers know exactly what’s needed, without a separate round of emails.”
The impact of data-linking has been equally transformative. Linked fields ensure that updates flow across all relevant documents and processes instantly, eliminating duplicative data entry and reducing errors.
“Linked fields help keep our data streamlined and reduce the possibility of errors. I’m excited to link even more data in the future,” Jesse added.
For HFAs without a robust frontend application system, these efficiencies can be a game-changer. By linking technology directly to checklists at the application level, staff and developers stay aligned from the start. This not only streamlines collaboration but also can also cut out days, or even weeks, of manual organizing and data structuring from the underwriting process.
With the foundation now in place, Montana Housing is expanding its use of Builders Patch in three critical areas:
While the Builders Patch platform delivered clear operational improvements from centralized data to AI-powered onboarding, what stood out most for the Montana Housing team was the people behind the product.
“The support and responsiveness from the Builders Patch team, it’s just not common,” said Bruce Brensdal. “They listen, they act fast, and they truly care. That’s what makes Builders Patch stand out.”
“From my perspective, it’s the level of collaboration Builders Patch brought,” added Cheryl Cohen, Executive Director. “The system is designed around the asset and for us, it’s a more business- and user-friendly way of working. The Builders Patch team understands affordable housing, and it shows.”
Her advice to other agencies considering Builders Patch?
“Builders Patch is quick to respond, collaborative, and grounded in the reality of how housing finance actually works. That’s rare.”
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