Housing Authority of Cook County On-site IT Support Services

Level-1 modernized HACC’s IT systems with VMware upgrades, Dell hardware deployment, and on-site support to strengthen compliance and continuity.

The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) plays a pivotal role in supporting low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities across 108 communities throughout suburban Cook County. As the second-largest public housing authority in Illinois, HACC administers more than 2,100 public housing units and provides rental assistance to over 13,000 households. In support of these vital operations, the agency relies on stable and secure IT systems to manage mobility assistance, self-sufficiency, and homeownership programs that empower residents and enable equitable housing access. 

To safeguard these services and meet compliance requirements associated with federal funding and HUD oversight, HACC needed an infrastructure solution that could improve reliability, support scalability, and enhance operational continuity. Level-1 Global Solutions was engaged by Dell to deliver comprehensive on-site infrastructure support and virtualization services across two HACC locations, all while ensuring alignment with public-sector IT standards, data protection protocols, and audit-readiness. 

Our team led the migration and upgrade of HACC’s VMware environment from version 4 to version 5, enabling greater performance, manageability, and long-term scalability. This transition supported the agency’s need to reduce hardware obsolescence, optimize data storage, and enhance failover capabilities in line with federally funded service expectations. 

In parallel with the virtual infrastructure upgrade, Level-1 provided hands-on technical support to configure and deploy new Dell hardware. Once the migration was validated, we facilitated the decommissioning of legacy equipment, preparing it for relocation or repurposing. Older assets were refreshed to meet updated operational standards, and replication between EqualLogic storage systems was reconfigured to align with the upgraded environment. 

What We Delivered 

• VMware environment upgrade from v4 to v5 across two HACC operational sites 
• On-site setup and configuration of Dell enterprise-class hardware 
• Seamless migration and validation of virtualized workloads with minimal downtime 
• Decommissioning and relocation of legacy hardware in accordance with asset lifecycle policies 
• Hardware refresh of existing systems to reduce capital expenditure and prolong usability 
• Reconfiguration of EqualLogic storage replication for continuity and redundancy 
• Technical documentation and configuration support to ensure HUD and IT audit-readiness 

With limited IT resources and strict regulatory oversight, HACC required a partner capable of delivering results efficiently, securely, and in full alignment with public accountability standards. Dell/Level-1’s targeted support allowed the agency to modernize critical infrastructure while maintaining daily operations, ultimately helping HACC uphold its mission of providing safe, sustainable, and well-supported housing for Cook County’s most vulnerable residents.