Meet the JFLA Mobile App

In today’s fast-paced world, accessibility and convenience are more important than ever. Between 50-60% of websites are accessed through mobile devices, and this statistic is even higher in low-income neighborhoods where computer and internet connectivity can be more challenging. In fact, in recent surveys, we learned that over 78% of JFLA’s borrowers were accessing the internet exclusively on their mobile devices. 

The digital divide in low-income communities highlights significant access issues. Many individuals in these communities rely solely on smartphones for their internet needs due to the prohibitive costs of owning a computer and maintaining a home internet connection. This reliance underscores the necessity for mobile-optimized solutions that cater to the unique challenges faced by these users.

Recognizing these barriers, we launched the JFLA mobile App last fall to make our loans more accessible and to meet the evolving needs of our community. The new app is designed to streamline our lending process, housing both the application and loan management components on a mobile device. This development is critical as it addresses the digital accessibility gap and ensures that all users, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have equitable access to JFLA’s loans.

The new app offers a streamlined pre-application process that shortens the window between application and funding. This accelerated turnaround time is especially important for borrowers facing emergency medical needs or housing evictions. Since the app’s launch last Fall, it has been downloaded more than 5,000 times and out of these downloads, 1,100 users have applied for a loan. To date, 89 loans from this group have been approved, totaling $660,100 lent out.

We invite you to download the app if you haven’t done so already. The QR codes below can be used for the corresponding device.

If you require support or have any questions, please reach out to our team at info@jfla.org