Housing Programs Case Study:
HRA Levy Technical Assistance Program Creation
Ponterre Group consultants are experts in all areas of affordable housing, including the design, evaluation and implementation of housing programs, from policy making to compliance.
Our consultants have designed multiple programs for housing related activities, including a Housing and Redevelopment Authority Tax Levy program commissioned by the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF), the state’s largest philanthropic community development support organization. In response to research showing that many HRA/EDAs were not fully utilizing their levy authority to support local community development needs, GMHF sought to create a program guide for cities and counties that enabled use of this program to support local production and preservation of affordable housing outside the Twin Cities metro area.
Ponterre Group worked closely with GMHF to:
- Crystallize the program goals.
- Relate goals and intended outcomes back to the organization’s overall mission and purpose.
- Clarify the limitations and expectations of the legislative language.
- Determine eligibility factors.
- Define technical assistance parameters.
- Create application materials, FAQ documents, rating systems and evaluation tools.
This program has since made the more than $1.25 million in available HRA matching funds much easier to access, by providing a clear and concise program that allows for technical assistance with:
- Peer-to-peer consulting with state and national experts.
- Local Board and Council training and education.
- Designing affordable housing program(s) to maximize leverage potential.
- Calculating levy potential and tax impacts for constituents.
- Developing and implementing communications plan to define the need for a levy and assistance outlining key messages and methods to deliver critical information.
- Obtaining levy approval from local governing body.
