Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping how industries operate, and housing is no exception. From automating repetitive tasks to parsing and simplifying complex language, AI is increasingly being used to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and surface insights that might otherwise go unnoticed or require hours of valuable staff attention. According to the latest research from Mary Meeker, the speed with which AI is being developed has already drastically reduced the cost of using it, far outpacing other key technologies like electricity and computer memory. Like many others, NHC is focused on ensuring these tools are used to support the efforts of housing professionals working to solve the nation’s affordability crisis. It remains abundantly clear that failing to embrace AI will quickly leave housers behind and we cannot afford to address 21st century challenges with 20th century technology.
As we begin to identify the best use cases for AI in housing, NHC is excited to announce a new partnership with Impact Capitol to bring ALFReD AI, or Autonomous Learning For Real Estate Decisioning, to the Housing Resource Center (HRC). ALFReD is a housing-focused AI chatbot that combines natural language processing with real estate and policy expertise. It offers real-time responses on topics ranging from financing models to regulatory updates, tailored for developers, advocates, and public-sector professionals. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, ALFReD is built with the housing sector in mind—trained on real estate use cases, finance workflows, and evolving policy environments. NHC members will have access to ALFReD starting this week simply be creating an account. As the definitive destination for all your federal policy needs in housing, HRC will continue to be expanded and enhanced as technology evolves.
This launch builds on a broader trend: AI is already being used across the housing industry to streamline permitting, analyze lease terms, manage tenant communications, bring efficiencies to building technology, and even detect maintenance issues in smart buildings. It is making a significant impact across the housing lifecycle—from construction to ongoing management. In homebuilding, AI tools are streamlining workflows, automating architectural design, and creating digital twins that model homes used to test designs before a single nail is hammered. For property management companies and REALTORS®, AI systems analyze dense lease documents, identify key clauses, and flag compliance risks as well as automate repetitive tasks that ultimately ease the burdens of required notices and collections. These systems go further with smart maintenance technology—using sensors and predictive models to detect HVAC failures, plumbing issues, or electrical faults before they become costly problems. Together, these applications show how AI is reshaping not just how homes are built and marketed, but how they’re maintained, understood, and experienced.
Finally, the potential for AI to be used for broader research efforts is also being explored by groups looking for early signs of those at risk of homelessness, emerging market changes, and valuable analysis of socio-economic neighborhood-level data.
At larger scale, U.S. federal agencies are increasingly adopting AI to improve policy analysis and enforcement. The Securities and Exchange Commission uses AI to scan regulatory filings for patterns that may indicate violations. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture have piloted AI tools to boost inspection accuracy and efficiency and better understand fire and storm risk. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has tested AI to analyze Consolidated Plans submitted by block grant recipients, aiming to identify trends and streamline staff review.
AI also offers opportunities to address growing environmental pressures on the housing sector. From flagging energy inefficiencies to predicting costly building system failures, AI-driven tools can reduce waste and support climate adaptation. These technologies are increasingly vital as housing providers grapple with the financial impacts of extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and rising insurance costs.
AI’s efficiencies do not come without risks. AI can perpetuate algorithmic biases when performing analysis and making decisions, and debiasing this technology must remain on the forefront of our minds as we embrace the growth of the industry. Algorithmic tools for rental pricing have also spurred legal battles over where the line of technology’s usage and technology’s influence should be drawn. And further, the environmental footprint of AI itself must be considered. Large language models require significant computing power, which in turn demands high volumes of electricity and water for cooling data centers.
The National Fair Housing Alliance’s (NFHA) Tech Equity Initiative is a multi-faceted effort designed to “eliminate bias in algorithmic-based systems used in housing and financial services, increase transparency and explainability for AI tools, outline ethical standards for responsible tech, advance effective policies for regulating AI tools, and increase diversity and inclusion in the tech field.” Their goal is to create a “gold standard” of algorithmic fairness that would be adopted by regulators, developers, and consumers of AI-based systems.
As we deploy AI in the housing space, NHC remains committed to tracking the ethical, environmental, and equity implications of this technology. We recognize that responsible innovation means both embracing its benefits and grappling with its costs, and focusing on advancements that offset any unintended consequences will help housers utilize these invaluable technologies to their full potential.
Whether we embrace AI or not, it is here to stay. Housing professionals can begin their understanding of it by learning the many government and private use cases or exploring ALFReD and how it can make their everyday tasks easier. AI offers a tool designed not to replace expertise, but to amplify it.