Community Development Agency
www.santa-ana.gov/cd
Item # 3
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
October 20, 2026
TOPIC: Electronic Document Management System for the Housing Authority
AGENDA TITLE
Agreement with Naviant, LLC for an Electronic Document Management System for the Housing Authority (Specification No. 25-152A) (Non-General Fund)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Authorize the Executive Director of the Housing Authority to execute an agreement with Naviant, LLC to provide an Electronic Document Management System for the Housing Authority in an amount not to exceed $367,762, for a three (3) year term beginning October 6, 2026 and expiring October 5, 2029, with the option for up to two (2) one-year extensions (Agreement No. A-2026-XXX).
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
The Santa Ana Housing Authority (SAHA) is seeking to implement a secure, cloudbased Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) to support the administration of the Housing Choice Voucher program, including Project-Based Voucher and Special Purpose Voucher tenants. The primary goal is to transition from a paper-based environment to a digital, centralized repository that improves staff efficiency, strengthens compliance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations, and enhances the integrity, security, and accessibility of tenant records over the long term. This includes real-time scanning and instant digital access of tenant files.
SAHA currently manages more than 3,167 Housing Choice Vouchers and maintains extensive tenant records in both physical and electronic formats, which creates operational challenges related to document retrieval, storage, and timely access during eligibility reviews, recertifications, inspections, and compliance activities. In addition, the Housing Authority has already undertaken a large-scale digitization effort for approximately 1,650 tenant files totaling about 732,600 images scanned through Iron Mountain, making it critical to procure a system capable of accurately importing, validating, organizing, and maintaining those electronic records in a manner that supports day-to-day program operations.
Electronic Document Management System for the Housing Authority October 20, 2026
Toward this end, staff issued Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 25-152A on January 8, 2026 on the City’s online bid management and publication system. A summary of vendor participation and results is as follows:
912 Vendors notified
1 Santa Ana vendor notified
77 Vendors downloaded the RFP packet
12 Responsive proposals received
0 Responsive proposals received from Santa Ana vendors
Proposals were solicited from January 8, 2026 to February 10, 2026. Twelve (12) proposals were received by the RFP deadline and were determined to be responsive to the specifications and met the City's requirements. Bid validity was extended for the top four (4) proposals. An evaluation committee reviewed and rated the proposals according to the criteria listed in the RFP.
The RFP required the selected contractor to provide a comprehensive EDMS tailored to the Housing Authority’s tenant-file environment, including robust search functionality, Optical Character Recognition and full-text indexing, role-based security and audit trails, direct scanning of new documents, bulk import of legacy files, post-migration validation, and ongoing training and support for at least three years. Proposals were evaluated on organization and completeness, qualifications and experience, key personnel, technical approach and methodology, and cost.
Following this procurement process, staff recommends awarding an Agreement to the highest-ranked firm, Naviant, LLC (Naviant). Founded in 1986, Naviant specializes in electronic document management, process improvement, and automation for public sector and other regulated organizations. The firm employs approximately 150 professionals, including personnel experienced in system implementation, data migration, training, and ongoing support. Its experience includes an enterprise-wide OnBase implementation for the Florida Department of Children and Families, involving the import, organization, validation, and secure management of large volumes of sensitive case records.
For the SAHA, Naviant proposes a customizable Hyland OnBase solution that is well suited to the Housing Authority’s electronic document management needs and can be configured to support the Housing Authority’s tenant file structure, workflows, security roles, and records management requirements. Naviant proposes a dedicated team of approximately five to seven staff during data migration and system launch.
Based on Naviant’s demonstrated experience, proposed implementation approach, and the flexibility of its solution to meet the SAHA’s operational needs, staff recommends awarding an Agreement to Naviant.
Proposed Agreement with Naviant
Electronic Document Management System for the Housing Authority October 20, 2026
The proposed Agreement requires Naviant to provide, configure, implement, maintain, and support a cloud-based EDMS tailored to the Housing Authority’s tenant records (Exhibit 1). Services include importing approximately 1,650 existing tenant files, validating their completeness and placement, and providing a post-migration audit report. The system will support direct scanning, searchable document text, automated indexing, document retention, role-based access controls, encryption, and comprehensive audit trails. Naviant will also provide hands-on training for staff and system administrators, user reference materials, and ongoing technical support and system maintenance for at least three years following implementation.
The Agreement provides for an initial three-year term beginning October 6, 2026 and ending October 5, 2029, with the option for up to two (2) one-year extensions. Total compensation shall not exceed $367,762 over the entire Agreement term, including both extensions. The initial three-year cost is $257,800, consisting of $107,800 in onetime professional services for project management, system design and configuration, existing-file conversion, testing, training, and implementation support, plus an annual hosted software subscription of $50,000. Renewal pricing adjustments are subject to the requirements in Exhibit B of the Agreement, including advance written notice, the applicable Consumer Price Index limitation, and City review and approval.
FISCAL IMPACT
A proposed carryover from FY 2025-26 will be presented for City Council consideration to FY 2026-27 and it includes $107,800 of one-time professional service fees related to set-up and implementation, plus the annual hosted software subscription fee of $50,000. Subsequent funding and the renewal options, if exercised, will be budgeted in future fiscal years for expenditure as shown in the table below.
Fiscal Year Accounting
Unit
Account Unit
Description Account Account Description Amount
Contract (3-Year Term)
FY 2026/27 14018760 Housing AuthorityVouchers Adm 62300 Contract Services – Professional $107,800.00
FY 2026/27 14018760 Housing AuthorityVouchers Adm 66511 Computer
Software
Subscription
$50,000.00
FY 2027/28 14018760 Housing AuthorityVouchers Adm 66511 Computer
Software
Subscription
$50,000.00
FY 2028/29 14018760 Housing AuthorityVouchers Adm 66511 Computer
Software
Subscription
$50,000.00
Optional Two, 1-Year Extensions
Electronic Document Management System for the Housing Authority October 20, 2026
FY 2029/30 14018760 Housing AuthorityVouchers Adm 66511 Computer
Software
Subscription
$53,250.00
FY 2030/31 14018760 Housing AuthorityVouchers Adm 66511 Computer
Software
Subscription
$56,712.00
TOTAL $367,762.00
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Agreement with Naviant, LLC
Submitted By: Sylvia Vazquez, Deputy City Manager/Acting Executive Director for Community Development Agency
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager