Consulting Services for Affordable Housing Developers

Planning

You have a mission, but do you have a plan? The housing needs of your community are dynamic. With the constantly changing markets and demographics of your community, your organization must have an up-to-date plan that reflects your mission, and effectively serves your ever-changing community. I can work with your organization to plan how best to further your organization's purpose. I will work with your organization to synchronize your plan to the housing development priorities of your jurisdiction, access vital capital and develop a plan that maximizes your organization's effectiveness in creating affordable housing.

Implementation

Are you lacking the tools you need to effectively implement your housing mission? A good plan becomes effective housing development when it is implemented well. I can work as a liaison between your organization and local government, community groups, or funders to move your housing program forward. Whether it is approvals from your governing body, step-by-step action, implementation of staffing plans or access to capital, I have the expertise to take your affordable housing program from planning to implementation.

Community Acceptance

One of the biggest challenges facing affordable and/or supportive housing development is community opposition. Neighbors perceive numerous threats to be presented by affordable housing, including:

• Negative impact on home values;
• Changed neighborhood character;
• Dilution of neighborhood cohesion/homogeneity as “outsiders” or “different” people move into the community, including race, class, disability, and family composition;
• Density;
• Design of housing;
• Belief that newcomers will not share existing residents’ commitment to the neighborhood;
• Crime.

Neighborhood opponents can be expensive. An organized opposition group can cost a project time, money, and staff. It can mean local government withdrawal of support for a project, loss of funding (through, for example, the inability of a project to meet a tax credit deadline), litigation, and sometimes even the death of a development project.

Addressing community concerns early can mean the difference between success and failure of an affordable and/or supportive housing development. I can provide the following services to help ensure the success of your project:

• Work with you to set up a comprehensive community education process;
• Help you determine which design and programmatic elements are and are not negotiable if you are to have a successful project;
• Work with your development team to communicate community issues between you, your architect, your development and financing consultants, and your funders;
• Act as a liaison between the development team and local government;
• Act as an advocate for your development through due diligence and entitlements, including planning, historic, and environmental approvals;
• Be the “point person” for community interaction, leaving your staff and development team to actually develop your project.