Peoples Consulting, LLC provides research, policy, advocacy and real estate development consultancy services to Washington, D.C. area community development organizations. Since 2009, Peoples offers a broad array of services to its development partners, including orchestrating advocacy campaigns, structuring and securing financing for affordable housing and community spaces and helping to navigate regulatory and government processes. While specializing in these varied aspects of community development, Peoples is also able to provide all of these differentiated development components simultaneously, a unique aspect that serves its clients well.
In partnership with Sheridan Ventures, Peoples recently co-consulted on the rehabilitation of a Jubilee Housing property located in DC, an exceptional community which was being designed to provide needed affordable housing with supportive services for women returning from incarceration in the District.
Extremely low-income individuals re-entering society after incarceration have critical challenges to overcome including physical and mental health issues, poor job skills and history, and severed family ties, among others. Additionally, housing serving this vulnerable population is extremely hard to finance due to bleak long-term revenue projections and the residents’ own inability to consistently, if at all, pay rent until they are gainfully employed, and even then, rent payments may be relatively small.
“Funding, such as rent subsidies used to operate properties long-term, is often in short supply and/or are for relatively brief terms, like service subsidies and contracts,” said Angie Rodgers, Peoples Consulting. “All these factors can give extreme heartburn to anyone who might invest in your project!”
But invest, they did. An amazing number of public, for-profit and nonprofit partners came together to ensure Jubilee was successful with the venture. While navigating the complex levels of funding needed for the community, Peoples was also able to help its client make the public policy case highlighting the need for supportive housing for women re-entering society. Despite the continual and complicated development process, Peoples was able to maintain their client’s vision for the final product.
Success was realized earlier this month when 10 women began to move into the beautifully rehabbed property in Northwest DC. As proof to the winning model, a second property focusing on men re-entering society will be completed by the end of the year!
Some of the top benefits Peoples enjoys from its HAND membership are organizational training, peer networking and a strong affordable housing platform for regional issues.
“HAND is a consistent source of valuable information relaying what’s happening in the different parts of the region that affects the issues we’re working on,” said Rodgers. “Similarly, we have been able to turn to HAND to highlight issues we are involved with that need a broader audience than what we could reach on our own.”
Through its information sharing and events, HAND helps Peoples stay on top of needed industry intelligence.
HAND is pleased to spotlight Peoples Consulting, LLC, who certainly contribute to our organization’s COLLABORATION, INNOVATION and TRANSFORMATION!
