Picayune Housing Authority, a public housing agency in Picayune, Mississippi, modernized key control across six properties and 284 public housing units with a rekeyable master key system, restricted serialized keys and digital key management.
Agency Snapshot:
Picayune Housing Authority serves Picayune, Mississippi, with six properties comprising 284 public housing units. The agency sought a uniform, organized key-control program that could be managed efficiently across the full portfolio.
Picayune Housing Authority needed a more secure and manageable way to control keys across its portfolio. Maintenance Supervisor Aaron Brittian described the challenge as a combination of the time required to change locks and limited control over keys. Tenants could take keys to a local locksmith and have copies made, leaving the housing authority without a reliable way to know how many keys were in circulation.
The agency also wanted a uniform master key program across all six properties and 284 units, with a system its maintenance team could manage efficiently and records that could be tracked digitally.
After a referral from Mississippi Region IV Housing Authority, Brittian contacted InstaKey in March 2021. InstaKey used Picayune’s property, unit, address and lock information to design a two-level master key system and detailed door/keying schedule tailored to the agency’s operation.
The final program included SFIC cores and deadbolts, restricted serialized operating keys, sealed Step 2 rekey kits for every unit, property master and control keys, spare core-and-key sets, and SecurityRecords key management software. Picayune selected a 3 x 9 rekey structure for the system.
Budget Acquisition and Procurement
Picayune Housing Authority worked with InstaKey to streamline procurement for the system conversion. The project estimate included GSA Contract discounting, and InstaKey coordinated with the Authority’s Procurement Officer on vendor setup, billing preferences, purchase orders and invoicing. Following final review of the customized system and estimate, Picayune issued a purchase order to proceed with the conversion.
InstaKey coordinated the project from system design and procurement through production, shipping, training and implementation support. To make installation easier, the production team pre-installed the SFIC cores into the deadbolts and labeled the hardware by unit address. That allowed the physical hardware to match the digital keying records and reduced sorting and identification work for Picayune’s maintenance staff.
Brittian said the rollout had minimal issues and that communication helped make the process more streamlined than he expected. Questions were answered immediately, and he could pick up the phone rather than rely on extended email exchanges.
“InstaKey is not just a company with a great product, but an investment into your property and cost savings are an absolute. They top this off with customer service that exceeds all expectations”
- Aaron Brittian, Maintenance Supervisor, Picayune Housing Authority
Picayune’s maintenance department tracks technician time for work orders and callouts, making rekeying efficiency especially meaningful. With a prepared InstaKey rekey kit, staff can rekey a unit in seconds with no tools or additional hardware required. The prior process could require 30 to 60 minutes and the additional cost of replacing deadbolts.
Restricted, serialized keys give Picayune greater visibility into how many keys exist for each unit and help reduce uncontrolled duplication. When all serialized keys are returned, the housing authority can continue using the existing keying with confidence instead of automatically changing locks for the next tenant. If keys are missing, a sealed Step 2 rekey kit is already available for the unit so maintenance can resecure it immediately.
SecurityRecords digitizes Picayune’s lock and key records and provides reporting for its door and keying schedule. The system gives staff a centralized way to review and manage key-control information as needs change.
The relationship did not end when the hardware was delivered. InstaKey continued to provide implementation guidance, SecurityRecords training and follow-up support. Aaron emphasized the value of having a knowledgeable account manager as a single point of contact for assistance and problem solving, reinforcing the agency’s preference for an ongoing managed relationship rather than a one-time hardware purchase.
Picayune implemented a customized two-level master key system withrestricted serialized keys, user-rekeyable SFIC cores, prepared rekey kits and SecurityRecords software for digital lock and key records.
Using an InstaKey rekey kit, maintenance staff can complete a rekey in seconds. The previous process could require 30 to 60 minutes plus the cost of replacing deadbolts.
Restricted, serialized keys help staff track how many authorized keys exist for a unit and reduce the risk of uncontrolled duplication.
Picayune keeps a sealed next-step rekey kit for each unit so maintenance can resecure the unit immediately when keys are missing.
SecurityRecords digitizes lock and key records and provides reporting for the housing authority’s door and keying schedule.
The project covers six properties comprising 284 public housing units in Picayune, Mississippi.