"Something from Nothing" - How Housing Works built a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure on a shoestring budget.

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"Something from Nothing"
An Agency Profile:
How Housing Works built a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure on a shoestring budget.
By Arlan Dean, Housing Works Database Coordinator

Housing Works is a community-based not-for-profit corporation with 300 staff members providing housing, health care, advocacy, job training, outreach and vital supportive services to homeless New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. Currently the largest community-based organization of its kind in the metropolitan New York area, Housing Works has served more than 12,000 clients since it's founding in 1993. In addition to core social services, Housing Works' strong emphasis on social entrepreneurship has led to the development of an array of thrift shops and a used book café.

"A Dollar and a Dream"
In 1997, Housing Works' information systems infrastructure consisted of an odd assortment of old donated Macintosh computers running an outrageous hodgepodge of applications. The tiny IT staff's duties largely consisted of fixing the aging Macintosh machines once they malfunctioned . . . and then fixing them again. This endless cycle of repair, not to mention scant financial resources, precluded upgrade plans of any kind - much less expansion and development of a network.

"When I came onboard in 1997, I immediately realized that what was needed was standardization and network connectivity. Standardization would allow more uniform technical support agency-wide, while connectivity would, of course, allow staff to better communicate," says Chief Technology Officer Duane Ebesu.

Building Housing Works' network from the ground up was an exercise in classic program development and grantsmanship. Casting a wide net among his contacts in all areas of IT, Ebesu raised the common strategy of "acquisition by donation" to a sublime level. When newer core-network hardware such as servers, hubs and routers became an absolute necessity, Ebesu finessed and cajoled vendors into deep-discount agreements. Donated PC's - newer than the original Macintosh computers - also found their way to the desks of Housing Works' staff. From computers to networking hardware to donated high-speed T-1 Internet service, Housing Works' two-site Land Area Network and Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN) was on the verge of becoming a skillfully woven, data bearing reality, crafted from an unlikely combination of old and new components.

The Value of a Great Team
In 1998, Network Administrator Miguel Mendez came onboard. He brought a thorough understanding of the nuts and bolts of network technology to the project and, like Ebesu, welcomed the challenge of creating something from nothing. In the absence of funds for hiring outside networking contractors, much of the initial planning and building of the first parts of the network were done by Mendez and Ebesu who comprised the entire IT staff at that time.

By late 1999, the increasing demands of a growing infrastructure necessitated the long-delayed hiring of two technicians to handle day-to-day computer and network maintenance as well as provide Help Desk support to staff. Planning for these positions had been an integral part of the agency's strategic plan, and funds had been gradually set aside. Talent found in-house, from among staff members and job trainees who demonstrated an aptitude and interest in IT, filled these positions. [See "Six Weeks to a Sleeker CBO: Tech Planning Timeline" in the June 2002 issue of TECH NEWS.]

In an environment where each team member wears multiple hats and entire skill sets must be learned in real-time, Housing Works'growing IT department became a fast-paced learning lab. As newer hardware, operating systems and applications became available, they were (and are) adapted as rapidly as possible, thereby enriching the department's collective knowledge base, and providing a small measure of security against the obsolescence created by possible future budget shortfalls that are a fact of life in community-based organizations.

Cutting-edge thinking was (and is) very much a part of the department's culture. Says Ebesu, "From the outset, even when funds were frighteningly scarce, I operated on the premise that resourcefulness in itself requires innovation. Newer technologies such as Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Professional provided a more stable and secure network environment than, say, Windows NT. Also, early on there was a desperate need to modernize the entire infrastructure by phasing out older hardware that, in many instances, simply quit working due to old age. We could have opted to continue to use older servers and Windows NT longer, since it was tried and true, despite it's limitations in security and centralized administration. But a true 21st Century network infrastructure needed a 21st Century network operating system. In retrospect, it was money well spent."

"There were times when, from a budget standpoint, we adapted newer technologies at great peril and sacrifice."

- Chief Technology Officer Duane Ebesu.

Reinforcing the IT Safety Net
In 2000, Housing Works began the implementation of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to provide staff in remote locations greater flexibility. The VPN was also intended to control anticipated future costs of additional dedicated leased high-speed lines. [See "VPNot Yet" in the June 2002 issue of TECH NEWS.]

Two more sites - residential/day treatment facilities in Brooklyn's East New York community and Manhattan's Lower East Side - were also fully networked in 2001. Prior to this, these sites had only limited file/print servers and were not connected to the Housing Works domain or WAN, which was now comprised of four major sites.

Also in 2001, major network applications and database refinement took center stage. Mission-critical legacy databases were given added functionality by using them in conjunction with Citrix Server, a server-based application that allows various applications to be efficiently run over WANs. This provided staff users in other sites with access to centralized data resources that ordinarily would need to be run locally. Additionally, Housing Works began the work of migrating, and preparing for migration, a number of small legacy databases into newer and more scalable database solutions such as Raiser's Edge.

Staff members who suddenly found themselves with new Windows PC's, after years of making do with old Macintosh machines were elated. Those who needed to be helped through the transition were given extra orientation.

An increase in the sheer number of computers spread over multiple sites made remote administrative access critical. Network Administrator Mendez addressed this by installing the server-based Norton Antivirus Corporate version, making endless rounds of updating local computers unnecessary. Virus protection for every computer linked to the network is now handled by centralized servers, precluding the need for field visits for virus updating to individual machines. The newest staff workstations are equipped with Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows XP Professional, making the entire network more modern and robust from server to user desk.

The Shape of Things to Come
As of mid-2002, Housing Works' LAN/WAN extends to five sites and 150+ computers. The most recent site opened in June 2002 on 38th Street in Manhattan. Plans for extending the network include connecting all thrift shops to the WAN via a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).

The IT staff now consists of five staff members plus two PC technician trainees from Housing Works' in-house job training program. Computer upgrades/repairs as well as network and database administration all take place in a newly renovated space where each technician has a fully equipped work area.

IT expansion plans for 2002-2003 include development of a comprehensive computer training lab for staff, complete with centralized learning management software, a feature-rich Intranet containing a staff discussion board, IT Help Desk Web site, Human Resources orientation Web site, staff newsletter and videoconferencing. Other plans include implementation of voice-over-IP, a technology which provides telephone service using the existing network.

Lessons Learned
The ongoing project of building Housing Works' IT infrastructure demonstrates that movement along the critical path is fueled by more than money. When funds are scarce, resourcefulness and innovation are key. Reasonable risks can yield large strategic advantages, as evidenced by policies emphasizing rapid implementation of newer operating systems and centralized server-based technologies whenever it is economically feasible. A newer overall infrastructure has a longer life span, providing a cushion against future funding shortfalls.

The roles of team building, hard work and the constant development of intellectual capital cannot be understated. New technology calls for new learning, and this adds value to both the IT department and the organization as a whole.

You can contact Arlan Dean at dean@housingworks.org.

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