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B-3 · Users, Staff Records and Microsoft Sign-in

Draft page

Captions marked [confirm] and the "Open items" section are still being verified against the live product.

Book B — Agency Administrator Guide · draft v1 (2026-08-29)

Where: Navigation form ▸ Admin ▸ Settings ▸ Users [confirm caption]; each user's own Edit User Information.

Staff records (Technicians)

Every person who uses HousingOS — and every staff member who is named on a project as Loan Coordinator, Rehab Specialist, Inspector or letter signatory — needs a staff record: first/last name, title, phone, email, initials, Windows user name, permission level, and (optional) supervisor. The record supplies the name/title/phone printed on letters and shown in the User block, the email used for calendar invites and CCs, and the initials on status checklists and Active Projects badges.

Add a user

  1. Settings ▸ Add User [AddUserForm]: enter the name, title, phone, email and the Windows login name (HousingOS recognises the person by the Windows account they sign in with). Set the Permission level (▸ B-1) and the form to open at start (dashboard, inbox …). Click Add User — you're asked to confirm.
  2. The user launches HousingOS on their workstation; the User block shows their name.

Edit / deactivate a user

  1. Settings ▸ Edit Users [EditUserForm] lists everyone; change the level or details and save. The Upgrade label (double-click, password) is Housing Programs' own maintenance entry — leave it.
  2. To retire someone, [confirm: is there an Active flag, or do you delete the record?]. Keep the record if they're named on projects — reports and letters still reference them.
  3. Users maintain their own phone/email via Edit User Information; they can't change their level.

Placeholder staff

The record NONE (technician #99999) is the "unassigned" placeholder used in pick-lists. Don't delete or rename it.

Microsoft 365 sign-in

HousingOS emails and calendar invites are sent through each user's own Microsoft 365 account (Graph). Each user signs in once from Edit User Information ▸ Microsoft sign-in [confirm caption — Microsoft_Authentication]; the browser window asks for consent the first time. Tokens are stored on the user's staff record (so they follow the person to any workstation, and two people sharing a PC never see each other's mail). "Access token expired and refresh failed." → sign in again.

  • Your Microsoft 365 tenant must have consented to the HousingOS app once (Housing Programs sends the consent link at onboarding — ▸ A-8).
  • Users on classic Outlook vs New Outlook behave differently for emails — set the per-user/agency switch (▸ B-10).

Email account for HousingOS-sent letters

Some agencies prefer letters to go from a shared mailbox. Settings ▸ Email password [UtilityEmailPassword] stores the shared account credentials; test with Email Test on the Settings form.

Watch-outs

  • Windows login name must match exactly (including domain) or the user sees the wrong name / no permissions.
  • Delete a user who is on projects and letters lose their signatory; deactivate instead.
  • Permission level 1 for everyone is the most common setup mistake — it lets anyone delete applicants and change settings.

Screenshot shot list

Shot What
B03-01 Settings form (whole)
B03-02 Add User / Edit Users
B03-03 Microsoft sign-in window

Open items for John

  • Captions on the Settings form for the user buttons; whether users can be deactivated or only deleted; the Microsoft sign-in entry point's caption.