Research and Evaluation

Praxis Consulting Group has written extensively on housing and community development issues. Our publications include:

• a housing needs assessment of rural Nevada for the Nevada Rural Housing Authority,
• a report on barriers to affordable housing development for the Truckee Meadows Growth Task Force
• a manual for the AIDS Housing Corporation on developing AIDS supported housing,
• a study for the Ford Foundation on the economic benefits of incorporating center-based child care into affordable housing
• a manual for HUD on building the capacity of resident organizations to purchase their expiring-use properties, and
• an evaluation for the Fannie Mae Foundation of an economic literacy program in the African American churches.

Mr. Novak, Praxis’ Principal, has a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a concentration in real estate finance and housing and human service policy.

Public Housing Portfolio Assessment and Strategic Planning

Praxis Consulting Group has also provided technical assistance to public housing authorities in the areas of strategic planning, portfolio assessment, and mixed-finance development. Recent projects include:

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC)

During an intensive one week site visit, Praxis, as a subconsultant to EJP Consulting Group, analyzed AHFC’s Anchorage public housing portfolio and developed a series of formal recommendations for addressing the needs of low-income public housing residents as well as AHFC’s desire to maintain financial stability over time. The methodology included a portfolio review (568 units on 108 sites), overview of the market, and analysis of leveraged financing options and local capacity. The site visit also included formal training on mixed-finance development under HUD rules. The final report contained four strategies (site specific mixed-finance redevelopment, using ‘banked’ ACC, working with partners to assemble land for future development, and carrying out further study on a specific set of properties), which AHFC is in the process of now implementing.

Berkeley Housing Authority

Praxis, as a subconsultant to EJP Consulting Group, recently assisted the Berkeley Housing Authority to assess its disposition options for 75 scattered site public housing and state-financed units. Options included disposition (through a long term lease) of the units to a private or non-profit entity and providing project-based assistance to cover operating costs and needed capital improvements.