Technical Assistance

• Developing a Homeownership Program for the City of Charleston, South Carolina
• Creating an Affordable Housing Strategy for the City of Charlotte, North Carolina
• Assisting Texas with its HOME and CDBG Programs
• Administering Technical Assistance for the Welfare to Work Housing Voucher Program

Challenge Solution Benefit

Challenge
In recent years, the City of Charleston, South Carolina, twice attempted to have a large area of its downtown designated as a Homeownership Zone under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) Homeownership pilot program. While not successful in obtaining the HUD designation, the City still desired to combat gentrification and rapidly appreciating housing costs by creating up to 200 affordable, for-sale housing units in several dilapidated neighborhoods. In 1998, the City of Charleston turned to ICF International to make it happen.

Solution
Over a two year period, ICF International provided comprehensive technical assistance to help Charleston succeed in its homeownership project. Working with City staff, ICF International first assessed the housing market to determine potential demand and possible barriers to implementation. We then provided one-on-one consultations on housing finance, program design, and regulatory issues such as acquisition and recapture provisions. We continued our assistance by securing approval for the homeownership program from the Mayor. We then provided the City with acquisition procedures and an implementation plan for completing the project.

Benefit
Initial outcomes of the technical assistance include the following:

• A commitment of nearly $30 million in public and private funding sources for the program.
• Partnerships with several nonprofit housing development and service organizations that will implement the program.
• The acquisition of nearly 100 properties through direct purchase and eminent domain.

Challenge
The Charlotte, North Carolina, Chamber of Commerce recently received a report stating that the metropolitan area's shortage of affordable housing could potentially limit its future economic growth. Charlotte's City Council responded by appointing a citizen committee to formulate an affordable housing strategy. However, the committee quickly became overwhelmed by the task and requested outside assistance.

Solution
The City of Charlotte asked ICF International to assist staff and the committee in its affordable housing deliberations. Over the course of several months, ICF International facilitated meetings, identified country-wide models of innovative housing policies and programs, and made recommendations as to the format and content of the final plan. Our research into innovative housing strategies identified "best practices" from other jurisdictions that focused on issuance and use of housing bonds, as well as the removal of regulatory barriers to affordable housing development. We also determined how the stakeholders' recommendations developed prior to ICF International's involvement fit into our work and provided written guidance to help them address gaps in the recommendations. These efforts produced an affordable housing strategy that the committee presented to the City Council and other Charlotte residents. Due to the success of ICF International's work, Charlotte awarded us with follow on work.

Benefit
The stakeholder committee was able to do the following:

• Focus its efforts
• Expand its proposed solutions to those not yet tried in Charlotte
• Determine its goals and priorities
• Convey its recommendations in one cohesive document for City Council approval

The strategy plan, developed in part with ICF International, was adopted by Charlotte's City Council. Implementation activities are now underway.

View our Housing Programs & Finance page for more information.

Challenge Solution Benefit

Challenge
For 20 years, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has operated a State-administered, non-entitlement CDBG program, the largest non-entitlement program in the country. This program, the Texas Community Development Program (TCDP), provides assistance for public infrastructure improvements, housing, economic development, and planning activities. The department needed assistance with updating and revising their CDBG Implementation Manual to make it more user-friendly. This manual provides beneficiaries everything they need to know about complying with program requirements, making the project a high priority. To complete this work, the department needed a CDBG program "expert" who also had experience writing user-friendly manuals.

Solution
Drawing on our CDBG and manual-writing experience, our team first worked with TCDP staff to understand their policies and procedures and ensure that they were up-to-date. We then began the task of reorganizing the manual and writing sections more succinctly. For the completed product, we incorporated a user-friendly format that uses symbols and graphics to illustrate and emphasize particular points. Further, the CD-ROM version of the manual allows beneficiaries to conduct quick searches for particular topics and print clean copies of forms, letters, and checklists.

Benefit

• Beneficiaries throughout the state of Texas have a document that clearly explains CDBG/TCDP program procedures.
• With greater beneficiary understanding, the program will be able to run more efficiently and effectively.

Challenge Solution Benefit

Challenge
The Welfare to Work (WtW) housing voucher program targets families who need housing assistance in order to make the transition from welfare to work. Recently, 120 Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) were granted housing vouchers to help current or former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients achieve these goals. Many PHAs face tight housing markets, limited staffing, and other constraints that make implementation of this program challenging. Housing authorities are also required to partner with other agencies to ensure that housing voucher assistance is combined with the services families need for a successful transition from welfare to work. With these challenges, PHAs needed help implementing the program and meeting their leasing goals.

Solution
As a subcontractor, ICF International provides technical assistance to public housing authorities that receive funding for Section 8 WtW vouchers. The technical assistance for this project targets partnership development and overall program management. ICF International's role includes participation in the planning and delivery of a national conference, telephone and on-site technical assistance, and development and management of the program's national Web site.

Benefit

• HUD has a venue for rapidly disseminating critical information to PHAs.
• PHAs receive targeted assistance that helps them tackle program challenges and work toward program success: 100 percent lease-up of their awarded housing vouchers.
• PHAs routinely receive information, policy updates, and resources that are vital to their program.
• PHAs receive monthly updates on the status of the WtW Voucher Program, including rates of voucher issuance and lease up.

View our Workforce Development page for more information.