WHAT WE OFFER - CAPABILITIES & SERVICES

Below are the full range of services we offer, with examples of recent assignments.

Business and Strategic Planning

  • Strategic plan development: East Baltimore Development, Inc. (EBDI), Baltimore, MD, 2006-07. In partnership with Managance Consulting, completed this five-year old community development corporation's first strategic plan. This fast growing organization has already cleared 1/3 of its 88 acre target area for redevelopment and within a year of finalizing the strategic plan had two residential developments and a bio-technology building constructed.
  • Assessment of market and business opportunities: NHS of Lackawanna County, Scranton, PA, 2005-06. Assessment of market opportunities for current and new business growth leading to new secondary mortgage products in partnership with NHS of America and Fannie Mae.
  • Assessment of territorial expansion: Interfaith Housing Alliance, Frederick, MD, 2004. Developed plan to guide territory expansion, asset management, and name change resulting in several projects underway in southern PA counties; a new name, and an expanded property and asset management capacity.

    Research and Policy Development

  • Research and review of best practices: Howard County Planning Department, Ellicott City, MD, 2004-2005. Study of county mobile home parks, including recommendations of best practices from other jurisdictions for legislation addressing potential displacement.
  • Survey design and implementation: Baltimore Community Foundation, Baltimore, MD, 2001-03. Surveyed the capacity of local CDCs and the funding they received from various government and non-government sources to be used by the Foundation in determining how they should best position themselves to assist in increasing CDC production.
  • Systems for tracking paper and computerized records: Fuel Fund of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 2006. Created systems to organize both paper and computerized records.

    Managing Succession

  • Executive Transition Management Assistance: Interfaith Housing, Denton, MD 2008-2009 Provided Executive Transition Management assistance. NHS of Lackawanna, Scranton, PA, 2007-2008. In collaboration with TransitionGuides, provided executive transition management assistance including assistance in re-configuring strategic plan, recruitment and selection of a new executive director and post-hire coaching.
  • Succession Planning: Community Action Commission, Harrisburg, PA, 2008

    Coaching and Technical Assistance

  • Organizational and housing development technical assistance: ICF Consulting, Fairfax, VA, 2006-08 Provided technical assistance to five Community Development Housing Organizations. Assisted Dundalk Renaissance Corporation to expand housing production from developing one single family house to six homes per year.
  • Program development: Development Training Institute, Baltimore, MD, 1998-2003 Facilitated workshops for increasing homeownership production in Columbus, OH.

    Training and Course Development

  • Training: for such intermediaries as NeighborWorks and ICF on REO Solutions, HOME, CDBG, Lease Purchase, Real Estate Development, Business Planning, Community Building, and Civic Engagement.
  • Developed curriculum and course manuals for trainers and participants for courses including: REO Solutions: Strategies for Selling, Leasing or Renting REO Properties, Lease Purchase, Community Building, Civic Engagement, HOME and CDBG Basics.

    Financing and financial packaging

  • Applications for New Market Tax Credits: Community Ventures Corporation (CVC), Lexington, KY, 2006-08. In affiliation with CBC Associates and working with the Great Lakes NeighborWorks district, assisted CVC to structure and apply for New Markets Tax Credit allocations that included a housing component. Awarded $45 million in 2007 and $35 million in 2008.
  • Applications for Low Income Housing Tax Credit: Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, Kensington, MD, 2004. As a subcontractor to Urban Ventures, packaged two Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) proposals that were awarded funding.

    Mergers

  • Facilitate explorations of merger potential: Susquehanna Housing Initiatives and Tri-County Housing Development Corporation, Harrisburg, PA, 2001-02. Assisted groups to merge into Tri-County HDC. Merger stabilized operating support and with new executive leadership restarted housing production.
  • Facilitation of merger process: Over-the Rhine Housing Network and RESTOCK, Cincinnati, OH, 2005-06. Assisted groups to merge into one housing development and management organization called Over-the-Rhine Community Housing. Major issues for both organizations were reaching a critical mass of units to sustain the organization, and aspiring to become the neighborhood's premier property manager. See Shelterforce article: http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/148/mergerofequals.html

    Housing and market studies

  • Study of workforce housing needs: Frederick County Affordable Housing Council, Frederick, MD, 2005. In partnership with Lipman, Frizzell and Mitchell and Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission, produced a study of workforce housing needs including recommendations on inclusionary zoning implementation and a 25 item action plan for the Department of Housing and Community Development, subsequently approved by the County Commissioners.
  • Affordable housing needs assessment: Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc, (CHAI), Baltimore, MD, 2007. Marketing study to plan expansion of housing development for elderly, special needs and moderate income homeownership in partnership with Lipman, Frizzell and Mitchell.

    Neighborhood revitalization

  • Facilitation of neighborhood revitalization process: Lackawanna Neighbors, Inc, Scranton, PA, 2000-04. Facilitated a neighborhood revitalization planning process including specific housing development and marketing efforts for the Historic Hill neighborhood; organized a collaboration of three hospitals, Scranton University, local nonprofit housing organizations, the city and a neighborhood association; . This five-year effort transformed a neighborhood from one where banks were giving away their foreclosed properties to one where properties are no longer affordable for the housing group to purchase and rehab.

    Project and team management

  • Development and management of collaborative: Westside Affordable Rental Housing Collaborative, Cleveland, OH, 1999-2001, Facilitated a three-year planning and implementation process to develop affordable rental housing in seven Cleveland neighborhoods and in the greater Cleveland area; developed a collaborative of 23 nonprofit groups including community development corporations (CDCs), community based service centers, special needs housing providers and other housing related groups. Several hundred units have been produced or financed since the planning process.

    Proposal reviewer

  • Proposal reviews: Annual reviewer for Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative awards of $200,000 for each awardee for The Development Training Institute, Baltimore, MD