Blue Hour Housing Scales Workforce Housing Nationwide with Smarter Access
Workforce housing has become one of the biggest challenges for employers across the United States. Rising rents and limited supply leave many employees without affordable places to live, making it harder for companies to attract and retain staff.
Blue Hour Housing was created to address this problem. The company develops workforce housing nationwide, from ground-up construction to adaptive reuse of hotels, multifamily buildings, and homes. Blue Hour works directly with companies to ensure that employees get stable, affordable housing, while employers gain a crucial advantage in retaining and supporting staff. It’s a mission-driven model that fills a critical gap in the housing market: the “missing middle” between subsidized housing and market-rate rentals.
As Blue Hour’s portfolio grew, so did the complexity of operations. One of the most pressing needs was finding a more effective way to manage access across a diverse and rapidly expanding range of properties.
The Challenge
With properties spread nationwide and serving both long-term tenants and seasonal staff, Blue Hour Housing needed an access system that could keep pace.
Relying on offline PIN pad locks made that difficult. Codes had to be issued and revoked manually, adding extra steps to the turnover process and creating potential security risks when residents left. Without remote monitoring, battery life and device status also had to be checked manually, further stretching staff resources.
The diversity of property locations added to the challenge. Some faced sub-zero winters, while others operated in extreme heat and humidity, requiring locks durable enough to perform in any environment.
As Blue Hour evaluated new solutions, cost was another important consideration. Committed to making housing affordable, they needed flexible and reliable locks without the high price tag of traditional systems.
The Solution
Blue Hour Housing needed more than a standard lock. They required a system that could easily integrate with their property management software, avoid the guardrails of closed ecosystems, and align with their commitment to keeping workforce housing affordable while scaling access across a growing portfolio.
33 Lock delivered on those requirements with a complete access solution that included:
Remote management: Centralized control to issue and revoke codes instantly from anywhere, along with monitoring for battery levels and device status.
Flexible credentials: Options for PIN codes, digital keys, fobs, and mechanical keys, to match the needs of each property and user.
Multiple lock formats: Mortise, lever, and deadbolt lock options ensure the right hardware for every door.
Durability: Proven reliability across climates and property types.
Cost-effective and flexible: Affordable hardware that seamlessly integrates with other systems, without restricting operators to proprietary platforms.
The Results
The move to 33 Lock transformed access from a manual, time-consuming process into a streamlined system that supports Blue Hour Housing’s portfolio nationwide. Turnovers are faster, security is improved, and staff now have visibility and control across properties.
“A headache saved is the main metric, and it’s a lot.”
Feedback from employers and residents has been overwhelmingly positive. Employers welcome the shift from juggling key rings and worrying about manual updates, while residents enjoy the simplicity of PIN codes and the convenience of key-free living.
Conclusion
Blue Hour Housing continues to expand its workforce housing model, with projects underway in Maine, South Carolina, and more planned nationwide. 33 Lock has become a trusted part of that growth.
As new developments come online, Blue Hour can focus on providing affordable housing for the workforce communities that need it most, backed by access that delivers flexibility, security, and reliability across every property.
“33 Lock provides an incredible amount of flexibility for our properties, while also giving us the peace of mind that we have access both on-site and off-site, and helps us manage things securely. The team is very responsive and has been a strong partner. It’s been a great experience”
For more information about how 33 Lock can support your business, feel free to contact us:
