Our Services
Housing Finance & Development
Urban Initiatives provides specialized, technical expertise to not-for-profit organizations as well as to private developers whose goal is to build affordable housing for people ranging from low to middle income levels, including workforce housing and housing for special needs populations.
OUR APPROACH:
- Evaluate need and assess housing options and sites
- Assess sites and buildings in terms of neighborhood, zoning, and physical condition
- Determine financial feasibility of projects, including tax credits and tax-exempt bonds
- Prepare development budgets and financial cash-flow analyses for presentations to lenders, public funding sources, private foundations, and equity investors
- Assemble the development team and manage the pre-development process
- Manage the development phase
Capacity Building/ Strategic Development Planning
Urban Initiatives will assist in the integration of housing development into the existing functions of an agency. This can present many challenges, even to a successful multi-service agency. The agency must first assess how housing development will affect its historical mission and primary goals. An organizational assessment may be warranted so that development activities can be properly integrated into agency functions. The agency must also determine whether it will provide the housing development directly or utilize linkages with community developers.
OUR APPROACH:
- Identify housing market niches that target particular client segments and maximize funding opportunities
- Refine Mission Statements to reflect development activity
- Develop realistic goals, development and associated budgets
- Minimize duplicative and competitive service provision
- Address housing needs in terms of organizational management and strategic planning
- Forge necessary strategic alliances with community-based service providers or experienced housing developers.
Housing Policy and Program Development
Expanding housing for families and our local workforce (teachers, policemen, firemen, etc.) requires the coordination of a wide variety of resources including government, private finance, and philanthropic entities. Limited public funds and tax incentives require housing professionals to work more effectively with all facets of a community-from the political leadership to grass roots organizations.
Urban Initiatives professional staff combines broad expertise in both the public and private sectors to address housing policy and program development needs.
OUR APPROACH:
- Identify housing market niches that target particular client segments and maximize funding opportunities
- Refine Mission Statements to reflect development activity
- Develop realistic goals, development and associated budgets
- Minimize duplicative and competitive service provision
- Address housing needs in terms of organizational management and strategic planning
- Forge necessary strategic alliances with community-based service providers or experienced housing developers.
Development Consulting Services
Urban Initiatives can serve as an internal development consultant to provide specific real estate related services or to enhance an organization’s staff capacity. Urban Initiatives can work on a project basis or provide services on a broader range of real estate development needs.
OUR APPROACH:
- Direct assistance to private developers and not-for-profit organizations to assess project feasibility (site search, finance, zoning, etc.)
- Direct assistance to private developers and not-for-profit organizations in the development and financial packaging of residential and mixed-use projects
- Direct assistance to sponsors of affordable housing utilizing low-income housing tax credits, and tax-exempt bonds in the credit analysis, tax credit application, and equity placement
- Project management for timely and efficient physical development -Serve as development partner (where appropriate)
Owner's Representation Services
Urban Initiatives can serve as a developer’s owner representative to assure that a project is well coordinated, timely and on budget.
OUR APPROACH:
- Assist the owner in controlling the project; establish lines of communication among development team members
- Assist owner in developing project priorities and detailed timeline
- Help establish reporting requirements; prepare status and briefing documents
- Prepare required documents for financing
- Guide the owner’s decisions regarding real estate and construction issues (cost, schedule, design, bidding, leasing, construction, etc.)
- Monitor cost and schedule throughout the design and construction process.
Housing for Special Needs Populations
UThe integration of supportive housing development into the existing functions of a housing development organization can present many challenges. Similarly, the introduction of housing development into the functions of a human service agency requires careful consideration. Urban Initiatives works with housing developers and human service organizations to address the complexities of service-supported housing and assists in walking a sponsor through the intensive development tasks inherent in service-supported housing.
OUR APPROACH:
- Assess project feasibility and agency impact
- Coordinate housing and human service components
- Identify most realistic financing/ownership options
- Evaluate the need for development partners
- Manage the development process on behalf of sponsor
Services, Community and Economic Development
Urban Initiatives can assist you in in formulating realistic approaches to various economic and community development issues, such as evaluating the cost/benefit of various development activities and designing economic incentives to promote specific initiatives. For example, Urban Initiatives has developed small business development funds, bank loan consortiums and inclusionary zoning policies.
OUR APPROACH:
- Identify most economically beneficial approaches to community development initiatives.
- Provide guidelines and underwriting criteria for financing/loan pools
- Evaluate a specific project’s community and economic cost benefit/impact
- Formulate policies and/or economic incentives to promote various economic development activities
How Urban Initiatives Works with You
Urban Initiatives can assist you in in formulating realistic approaches to various economic and community development issues, Urban Initiatives provides technical services to suit your individual needs. We work closely with your staff to assure their involvement, cooperation, and understanding of your specific program objectives.
Urban Initiatives provides short and long term assistance to its clients. We are available to conduct an intensive assessment of your management and program needs and recommend strategic courses of action. We offer proven methods of implementing recommended steps.