Do You Rent? Let’s Chat
Our Code for America team would like to help renters figure out if a home they are considering is affordable, safe, and livable. We’ve got an idea for a tool to make this possible but we’d like to make sure we’re on track by listening to as many different Chattanoogans as possible.
It’s been a challenge to contact and schedule people for formal interviews. So, when James, the director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, offered us a tent at the annual Jazzanooga festival, we jumped at the chance. Plus, we love jazz. And sunshine.
Jazzanooga provided a folding table. From a dollar store we bought: a bucket, bottles of water, poster board, scissors, a sharpie, and a glue stick. We made a sign which asked, “Do you rent? Let’s Chat. 5$ Gift’ We also made a ‘Free Water’ sign. Unsurprisingly given the warm weather, the free water attracted a lot more attention that the Starbucks gift cards, but both gave us the opportunity to start conversations.
'Tell me about a rental horror story?’ This got people talking, and ranting, right off the bat. Then we followed up with questions about how they found their current rental. Finally, we showed them our prototype and asked them to think aloud as they looked.
We spoke with a cross-section of Chattanooga. There was a lot of difference in access to technology. Of the people we spoke to half had cell phones with no internet access, and half had smartphones. Many did not have internet access at home, and depended on the library and other public places to get online.
While access issues loom large, there was universal excitement over the information the tool makes available. People understood the purpose of the tool immediately and said that if they’d had the data while house hunting it would have factored into their decision.
One woman moved from a more expensive apartment to a less expensive one after losing her job, only to find out that the winter utility bill in the badly insulated new apartment ate up any savings.
Another gentleman, who was forced to move out of an apartment complex plagued with problems, said, "If I’d had this when moving, I definitely wouldn’t have taken the place." He was sure the problems had been going on a long time, and would have shown up in violations data.
These were scenarios we’d imagined, and it was affirming to hear the real stories from Chattanoogans. Their fresh eyes also uncovered a bunch of interaction problems that we plan to fix in the designs
We spoke to eight people in depth, heard some great jazz, and are excited to keep developing the rental helper tool. We’re also looking forward to our next visit to Chattanooga, and more conversations.