All pre-development professionals are vetted by the Collaborative’s Outreach and Assessment Committee after completing an initial survey. In addition to professionals that are part of our “bullpen” our congregation partners can also recommend professionals to be part of the pre-development team must also be approved through the Collaborative’s vetting process.
Every professional with whom IAHC works, has provided references and a list of previous or current faith-based development projects on which they have worked. In New York City, we work primarily with professionals who appear on NYC HPD’s pre-qualified list for owner’s representatives. While any interested professional can apply to the partnership to work on New York City projects, we encourage all our experts to join this list.
If congregations have experts that they would like to work with in the pre-development process in any part of New York State, they must also be vetted by the Collaborative’s Outreach and Assessment Committee and in New York City, in addition to being vetted we encourage experts to join NYC HPD’s pre-qualified list of owner’s representatives.
Contact Us
FBOs are congregations with property and are the primary stakeholders and are engaged and consulted through every phase of the development process. All housing development professionals are hired by them.
Each Collaborative-funded project has a Pre-Development Project Coordinator. The Coordinator Is active in all phases of the pre-development process and works with the FBO in determining which categories of development partners to engage.
A qualified attorney experienced in working with faith based affordable housing projects is crucial for the success of the project. To ensure that there is no conflict of interest, the collaborative requires that the FBO has an attorney that represents them and them alone in the pre-development process. Attorneys are involved in all parts of the pre-development process from evaluating project viability, to preparing and marketing a Request for Proposals/Request for Qualifications. Following the pre-development process an attorney, under a subsequent contract, will represent the congregation in negotiating a joint venture agreement.
Architects make an initial evaluation of what a project could look like and how it could meet municipal zoning and building requirements and satisfy the community needs as envisioned by the congregation. Architects lend their expertise in preparing a scope and executing a scope of work in phases 2 and 3 of our multi-phased pre-development process and may have a role in assembling the RFQ/RFP. Following the pre-development process an architect, under a subsequent contract, may represent the congregation in negotiating a joint venture agreement.
Appraiser - provide initial value estimates of existing land and future potential uses, given existing zoning, in the first and third phases of pre-development.
Air Rights, Landmark, and Zoning experts support project viability analysis in phases 1, 2 and 3 by advising how a potential housing development best fits into the larger land use context of a community. These consultants are also able to provide project details on unbuilt air rights that houses of faith might possess.
.png)
A Feasibility Consultant or Financial Analyst evaluates the financial viability of the project during phases 2, 3 and 4, if necessary.
Community Engagement Advisor has a deep understanding of how religious institutions can work with their communities to address their concerns around the construction of supportive and affordable housing. They help a FBO engage their community in a potential development project during phases 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the pre-development and development process.
Development Partner enters the pre-development process in phases 5 and 6. At that time, they respond to RFP/RFQs from the faith-based organization and then enter into a negotiation resulting in a joint venture agreement between the development partners and the faith-based organization. The development partner takes the lead in securing public and private financing for the project in collaboration with the congregation.
*Note
Engagement of housing development professionals in the IAHC funded pre-development process carries no expectation or guarantee that these housing professionals will be retained as part of the subsequent joint venture agreement. However, the congregation may consider retaining these professionals as part of the joint venture agreement.
We are always looking to collaborate with affordable housing professionals who share our vision and mission!
Join Our Team We need to gather information about your project to determine whether you are eligible to apply for a pre-development grant to cover a variety of development expenses incurred to determine the feasibility of your project and to assemble an RFP or RFQ. Before filling out a survey, please email us to set up a time for an initial conversation with our team.