Since our inception, the Community Strategies Institute has worked closely with state and local governments, nonprofit agencies and housing authorities on comprehensive planning documents. CSI efforts include housing needs assessments, local government policy documents, housing program design, development of application and underwriting proceedures, statistical analysis of various housing indicators, portfolio reviews, and best practice analysis. The following are some examples of our planning and policy work.
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| Planning and Policy Projects |
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New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority Statewide Housing Needs Assessment, 2008. CSI completed a housing assessment for all counties in New Mexico for the NM Mortgage Finance Authority. As part of this engagement, CSI provided a road map for a regional service delivery system as well as a strategic housing plan for each proposed region. This study has resulted in proposed state legislation to implement the report findings.
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City of Denver HOME/CDBG Housing Process Project: CSI was engaged by the City of Denver to develop HOME and CDBG grant and loan processes to meet HUD criteria. CSI developed internal staff processes, grant application documents, underwriting tools, staff review tools, and loan committee review documents. CSI also developed a project pipeline database and application log database for use by Denver staff.
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State of Colorado Division of Housing Research and Reports, CSI worked with the State of Colorado Division of Housing to create a housing needs matrix for the state, as well as reports on manufactured housing opportunities, a Housing Opportunity Index, affordable housing availability, rent burdened households, and other topics.
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Denver Housing Plan. 2007. CSI was engaged to contribute specific sections of the City of Denver affordable housing plan. CSI provided a comprehensive resource analysis to assist the housing plan task force in determining gaps in resources. In order to fill the identified resource gap, CSI created a dynamic fiscal analysis model that was used to forecast the cost of affordable housing actions. CSI formulated a fiscal analysis of possible funding mechanisms to support the projected costs. This fiscal analysis included potential revenues from such items as increases in property taxes, sales taxes, impact fees and special use taxes.
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State of New Mexico Board of Finance. CSI completed an analysis of the Regional Housing Authorities of New Mexico and provided the Governor’s Office and Board of Finance with a detailed review of existing Regional Housing Authority operations, board structure, state governing statute, staffing, budgets and programs. CSI provided strategies and recommendations to change the Regional Housing Authority legislation, governance, oversight and agency operations.
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Housing Needs Assessments:
Portales, New Mexico, 2011 Clear Creek County, Colorado 2011 City of Alamosa, Colorado, 2010
City of Monte Vista, Colorado, 2010
Provo Consortium, Utah, 2009
Larimer County, Colorado, 2009
San Luis Valley (six counties) Colorado, 2009
Montrose County, Colorado, 2008/2009
State of New Mexico, statewide housing assessment, 2008
Bent County, Colorado, 2008
Logan and Morgan Counties, 2007
Lakewood, Colorado, 2007
Sheridan County, Wyoming, 2006.
Campbell County, Wyoming, 2005.
South Central CHDO, Huerfano and Las Animas Counties, 2005
These recently completed reports outline the housing conditions and markets that exist in each community. The reports outline a strategic plan for meeting housing challenges, including identification of leaders for each step, priorities and estimated costs.
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City of Lakewood, Colorado Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, 2007: CSI completed the City of Lakewood, Colorado Analysis of Impediments as well as a Housing Needs Assessment. The Analysis was adopted by the City Council and met all HUD requirements.
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Provo, Utah Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, 2009. CSI completed an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing for the Provo Utah MSA that met all HUD Region 8 requirements.
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Denver Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, 2005. CSI was engaged by the Denver Department of Human Services to write the plan, including devising action steps and strategies, budgets and recommendations. CSI provided a unique methodology for matching actions steps with financial, timing and capacity variables. The City of Denver is beginning the third year of implementation of the plan.
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City of Sheridan Planning Department, 2006. CSI completed work with the City of Sheridan, Wyoming to complete a comprehensive review of all planning, zoning, and development regulations in order to suggest changes to stimulate the production of affordable housing in that community. The non-cash, regulatory tools available to local governments are a critical element in leveraging the highest amount of resources for affordable housing production.
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Hope Communities. CSI was retained by one of Denver’s leading non-profit housing development agencies to review and analyze the real estate portfolio of the agency. CSI provided recommendations to the board and staff about management, physical operations, and potential refinancing of each property. CSI is also providing predevelopment services to the agency for infill and newly constructed developments.
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Strategies for A Successful Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program.2004. CSI principals were responsible for designing a statewide homeowner rehabilitation program for a newly formed statewide CHDO. This document included determining the scale of the program, financing sources, building a program budget, program guideline options, service delivery alternatives, policy recommendations, staffing needs and job descriptions, community selection criteria, community roles, construction standards, potential partners, demand indicators for potential customers, recruitment of labor, community roles, potential partners, production targets and financial projections.
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Homeownership: It’s Your Move: This hands-on training, developed in 2004, takes potential homebuyers through the process of selecting a home for purchase and then comparison shopping various lending products to identify the best product for the household budget and situation.
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Homeownership: The Investment for Colorado’s Economy. 2004. This report examines opportunities for homeownership by analyzing renter incomes and household type to make recommendations regarding policies to increase the homeownership rates in Colorado for underserved markets. This report also quantifies the economic impact homeownership has on the overall economy.
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