Sustainable Housing Redefining Consultancy

One of the primary barriers to creating affordable housing in rural communities is the lack of funding and capacity to plan and execute large-scale, long-term projects, and to create the partnerships necessary to ensure the project is cost-effective and sustainable. Small communities often do not have the resources and expertise to go through the lengthy and complex processes (including conducting research and securing funding) that are necessary to building a multi-unit housing project.

An affordable housing project requires specialized knowledge and experience, and that's where we come in. Our team can successfully execute your project within a timely fashion, providing proven and streamlined processes that results in significant cost reductions, reduced risk and smarter decisions.

SHI has developed a three phased model to assist in accessing funding for the development and delivery of affordable housing that is tailored to the unique needs of your community, on a cost-recovery basis. In addition, SHI has also developed a Step-By-Step to Developing Affordable Housing to document its process.

Pre-Development Feasibility Module

Covers the required research and reports a municipality or organization requires to apply for funding and financing.

Project Setup

(2-3 weeks)

The purpose of the project setup is to meet, learn and understand the community's project and needs while gathering any relevant information from other sources. Once this information has been examined, the project members and team are defined. A project timeline is determined along with key meetings scheduled.

Key Activities

Start-up meeting

Define the project

Define key members

Define the project team

Project planning

Setup meetings

Needs Assessment

(3-4 weeks)

The purpose of the Needs and Demand Assessment is to prepare an in-depth analysis of the affected community. A mix of data collected from public agencies and documents gathered from the proponent will be compiled into the report. 

Key Activities

Collect necessary data

Create necessary figures, charts, and tables

Compile preliminary draft of report

Review with key project members

Finalize report

Financial Analysis

(3-4 weeks)

The purpose of financial feasibility and analysis is to get a summary of all the costs and revenue by: identifying the building program (number and types of units), reviewing the total costs (preliminary soft and hard costs), reviewing operational costs, and performing a market analysis to determine the revenue. This results in financial modelling that confirms viability over 20 years. The number of units and targeted population would have been defined in the project set up.

Key Activities

Create financial model based on proponent requirements

Review with key project members

Finalize financial model

Community Consultation

(3-4 weeks)

The purpose of Community Consultations is to involve the community in the project and obtain any information and insights the community might have to offer. There should be multiple consultations at various stages of the project to ensure that the community is fully involved throughout the project’s lifespan and relevant information is gathered at key points of development. The SHI could be contracted to do one or multiple consultations throughout the course of the project. The key activities are based on a single community consultation.

Key Activities

Finalize logistics (location, date, facilitator, etc.)

Review and finalize consultation process

Facilitator consultation

Create summary report

Present report to key project members

Business Case

(5-6 weeks)

The business case encompasses all facets of the project in a summarized, presentable format. It is the main document championing the proposed development, and is the final piece of any Phase 1 project. The business case will use details from the Needs Assessment, Financial Analysis, Community Consultation, as well as any existing pre-developmental work and proponent information to create a holistic document which can be presented to government agencies and potential investor or debtors.

Key Activities

Compile documents required

Create draft of business case

Present draft - revise with key project member

Finalize business case

Site Analysis

Covers the required site analysis work.

Once the needs in a community have been assessed and the necessary legwork has been completed to build the foundation of an affordable housing project, the proponent must source the necessary pre-site services in order to determine and prove that a feasible plot of land has been secured.

There are hundreds if not thousands of companies who accomplish one or more of these services, and choosing the right firm could be both costly and time consuming. The SHI has identified key partners who are familiar with the affordable housing development process to help offer these services at reasonable rates. Phase 2 will manage the procurement and delivery of these necessary site specific reports and activities. 

Key Activities

Site evaluation

Parking analysis and setbacks

Site design objectives

Policy & zoning bylaw review

Site schematics

Proposed vehicular and pedestrian access points

Suggested building location

Allocate areas for landscape treatment

3D representation of suggested volumes reflecting completed analysis

Additional stakeholder and public engagement sessions

Secure Funding & Financing

‍Assists in fundraising for the potential project, after completion 

Once a project has obtained the necessary pre-development documents, the process for securing the necessary equity and financing can begin. As governments change and priorities across the country shift, some doors for funding close while others open, and the SHI are experts in assessing the optimal funding avenue for each project.

Most consulting firms and development teams are accustomed to private investment and high-interest loans to fund their projects, or would require recurring funding to support an affordable housing development. However, affordable and non-traditional housing requires a different approach, a sustainable approach, in order to appeal to both funding organization and traditional financial institutions.

As part of Phase 3, the SHI will manage funding applications and explore feasible options for equity, and mortgage financing.