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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-07-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - CONSULTATION SVCS AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY PLAN AND GRANT PGMO Agenda Item: 9 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA .` AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: DATE: July 14, 2026 SUBJECT: CONSULTATION SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY PLAN AND GRANT PROGRAM DEPARTMENT: Community Development PRESENTER: Masis Hagobian RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council: 1. Award a one-year contract to HR&A Advisors, Inc., for the development of an Affordable Housing Strategy Plan, Developer Grant Program, and related technical assistance services in the amount of $129,200. 2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute up to two additional, one-year renewal options beginning in year two. 3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents, subject to City Attorney review. BACKGROUND On October 7, 2025, the City Council held an Affordable Housing Study Session to discuss local housing needs, affordable housing funding opportunities, and the City of Santa Clarita's (City) role in supporting affordable housing development. As part of the discussion, staff provided an overview of the City's affordable housing inventory, funding sources available to support affordable housing, and the challenges associated with developing affordable housing projects. City staff also discussed the City's Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation of 10,031 housing units for the 6th Cycle (2021-2029), including more than 5,000 units designated for lower -income households. Additionally, staff noted that approximately 38 percent of Santa Clarita households are cost -burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. Page 1 Packet Pg. 95 O One funding source discussed during the study session was the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA). The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency was established through Senate Bill (SB) 679 and is funded through Measure A, the voter -approved one-half cent countywide sales tax intended to support affordable housing solutions throughout Los Angeles County. Under SB 679, the City is designated as an Eligible Jurisdiction and receives an annual allocation of LACAHSA funding. Following discussion, the City Council directed staff to continue advancing affordable housing initiatives, develop a grant program utilizing available affordable housing funding, and return with additional analysis regarding affordable housing policies and programs. On January 27, 2026, the City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025-26 LACAHSA budget, which included Technical Assistance funding to retain a professional consultant to develop an Affordable Housing Strategy Plan, Developer Grant Program, and related affordable housing initiatives. The City conducted a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals seeking qualified firms to assist with the development of an Affordable Housing Strategy Plan, creation of a Developer Grant Program, and technical assistance related to LACAHSA program implementation and compliance requirements. The RFP was published and circulated via the City's e-procurement system, BidNet, on April 8, 2026. The City transmitted the solicitation to 2,549 vendors on BidNet, of which 91 vendors downloaded the RFP. Four firms provided proposals for consideration. Evaluation criteria included the following: • Demonstrated understanding of the Scope of Work (20%) • Considerable experience and expertise with affordable housing programs, including references (25%) • Thoroughness of proposal, approach to providing sound services, and ability to meet objectives and standards (25%) • Qualifications, experience, and skills of the proposed personnel (15%) • Cost (15%) The scoring results are shown below: RANK FIRM LOCATION SCORE 1 HR&A Advisors, Inc. New York, NY 95 2 Deeper Roots Consulting Services San Diego, CA 87 3 LeSar Development Consultants San Diego, CA 85.67 4 Thurmond Consulting Sacramento, CA 74 In addition to evaluating written proposals, staff conducted interviews with the two highest - scoring firms: HR&A Advisors, Inc. (HR&A), and Deeper Roots Consulting Services. The interviews provided an opportunity for the firms to further discuss their project approach, in coordination with staff. Due to the close scoring among the top -ranked firms, staff also reached Page 2 Packet Pg. 96 O out to LeSar Development Consultants regarding an interview, however, no response was received. Interview scores were as follows (10 points maximum): RANK FIRM LOCATION SCORE I HR&A Advisors, Inc. New York, NY 9 2 Deeper Roots Consulting Services San Diego, CA 5 Based on the quality of HR&A's proposal, qualifications, relevant project experience, and interview performance, staff recommends HR&A as the firm most qualified to complete the development of an Affordable Housing Strategy Plan, creation of a Developer Grant Program, and related technical assistance services. Additionally, HR&A demonstrated the strongest understanding of LACAHSA's funding requirements, as they developed LACAHSA's Expenditure Plan, the foundational document that allocates over $380 million annually across Los Angeles County, and the financing tools that are incorporated as part of LACAHSA's organizational framework offered to eligible jurisdictions. Staff recommends awarding the contract to HR&A for a total contract not to exceed $129,200. Upon completion of the consultant's work, recommendations regarding the Affordable Housing Strategy, Developer Grant Program, and any associated funding programs will be presented to the City Council for consideration in Spring 2027. ALTERNATIVE ACTION Other action as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT All costs associated with the consultant services will be funded by the City's FY 2025-26 LACAHSA allocation budgeted for technical assistance (expenditure account 2773210-516102) in the amount of $129,200. There is no impact to the General Fund associated with this item. ATTACHMENTS HR&A Cost File HR A Advisors Response File (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Page 3 Packet Pg. 97 9.a Cost File HR&A proposes to complete all scope elements for a total not -to -exceed fee of $129,200. The budget is allocated by task as indicated below. All work will be performed at the not -to -exceed price. Proposed Budget Task 0: Project Initiation Task 1: Affordable Housing Strategy Development Task 1.1 Existing Conditions Research & Analysis Task 1.2: Housing Strategy Development Task 2: Developer Grant Program Design Task 2.1: Feasibility and Program Considerations Analysis Task 2.2: Program Design Task 3: Implementation and Technical Assistance Final Deliverable: City Council Presentation Total Hours Total Fee Travel Budget Total Fee Budget Cap 2 2 2 2 $2,727.00 16 38 58 35 $46,818.00 2 8 8 20 $10,908.00 14 30 50 15 $35,910.00 16 40 70 20 $47,610.00 2 10 20 10 $12,825.00 14 30 50 10 $34,785.00 2 20 50 0 $23,040.00 3 4 8 8 $7,020.00 39 104 188 65 396 II im $17,550.00 $42,588.00 $52,452.00 $14,625.00 $127,215.00 $0.00 $127,215.00 $129,200.00 This proposal constitutes a firm offer for a period of 120 calendar days from the date of RFP closing (May 15, 2026). The proposed work will be performed at the not -to -exceed price stated above, inclusive of all deliverables as outlined in the Scope of Work. Authorized, Paul Silvern Partner, HR&A Advisors Inc. (310) 751-3464 1 psilvern@hraadvisors.com 99 Hudson Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10013 HR&A Advisors, Inc. Packet Pg. 98 City of Santa Clarita Affordable Housing Consultant RFP #CD-25-26-36 I May 14, 2026 Paul J. Silvern, Partner -in -Charge psi lvern(@hraadvisors.com, (310-751-3464) 5 MY AM' -" 14A.wsr# w� oVeJw".4 wo *!b*' I . a May 14, 2026 Michele Arima Community Development Department City of Santa Clarita 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita, CA 91355 RE: Affordable Housing Consultant - RFP #CD-25-26-36 Selection Committee: On behalf of HR&A Advisors, Inc. (HR&A), we are pleased to submit this proposal for technical support to the City of Santa Clarita's (the "City") Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) program. HR&A is a leading real estate, economic development, and public policy consultancy with 50 years of experience. We are uniquely positioned for this engagement. Our housing practice works across scales from the adoption of strategic plans through program design to funding and closing deals and we have applied the full range of our abilities in Southern California. HR&A led the development of LACAHSA's Expenditure Plan, the foundational document that allocates over $380 million annually across Eligible Jurisdictions and shaped many of the financing tools Santa Clarita will now deploy. We are also supporting LACAHSA's Regional Coordination Plan to strengthen the ways in which Eligible Jurisdictions can work together as they design and administer their own housing and homelessness prevention programs. Finally, we are supporting underwriting for LACAHSA's first Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to guide the Agency's initial round of investments. This work gives us direct familiarity with the City's context, its MOU obligations, and the practical realities of translating LACAHSA guidelines into local program design. In addition to our fluency with LACAHSA, we bring three capacities that are directly relevant to the scope: • We inform affordable housing strategies with best -in -class data capabilities. HR&A's data analytics platform, Housing Weaver, can automatically generate real-time housing needs assessments on a submarket level to complement prior studies and inform strategy and program design. • We create effective and efficient developer funding programs. We have designed and implemented public -sector funding programs for affordable housing development across the country, including Westchester County's $100 million Housing Flex Fund. Our approach is rooted in a deep understanding of local market dynamics, affordable housing finance, and a practical understanding of implementing new programs. • We understand implementation realities and build our clients' capacity. We regularly work side -by - side with our public sector clients to implement their programs, update their policies and procedures, and build their staffs compliance and technical skillsets. We look forward to the opportunity to partner with the City on this comprehensive approach to the City's use of LACAHSA funds. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Sincerely, Paul Silvern Partner, HR&A Advisors Inc. (310) 751-3464 1 psilvern@hraadvisors.com 99 Hudson Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10013 New York I Atlanta I Dallas I Los Angeles I Raleigh I San Francisco/Bay Area I Washington DC Table of Contents Relevant Project Experience Client References Scope of Work Project Schedule Personnel, Equipment, and Facilities 4 7 8 10 11 HR&A Advisors, Inc. RFP #CD-25-26-36 1 3 Relevant Project Experience The following three engagements represent a sample of HR&A's most relevant recent experience: designing and operating LACAHSA's program architecture, building developer grant programs for public sector clients, and providing on -call underwriting and implementation support to public sector clients as a trusted long-term partner. LACAHSA Organizational Strategy, Expenditure Plan & Regional Coordination Plan In 2024, Los Angeles County voters approved Measure A, a historic i i half -cent sales tax generating over $380 million annually for affordable housing and homelessness prevention. HR&A developed the inaugural Expenditure Plan and Regional Coordination Plan for the Los Angeles Client: Los Angeles County County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA), creating Affordable Housing Solutions frameworks that enable 13 regional agencies to deploy this permanent Agency (LACAHSA) funding source while maintaining regional alignment toward the goal Location: Los Angeles County, CA of producing 9,000 new affordable homes over the next five years. Completion: 2025 - Ongoing Following voter approval of Measure A, Los Angeles County established LACAHSA to administer funds at regional scale. Although LACAHSA directly administers 30 percent of funding, roughly 70 percent is distributed to 13 separate regional agencies. The core challenge was ensuring all agencies complied with Measure A requirements while maintaining flexibility to respond to hyperlocal housing needs, market conditions, and community priorities. HR&A's Expenditure Plan designed an "all tools in the toolbox" approach, creating a suite of financial tools and programs empowering each agency to deploy funds according to local priorities while maintaining regional alignment. HR&A also developed a methodology to allocate funding across agencies and established program requirements. With funding from SCAG, HR&A has continued assisting LACAHSA by convening the 13 agencies to develop a Regional Coordination Strategy that strengthens communication, establishes shared expectations, and ensures consistent implementation. Together, the Expenditure Plan and Coordination Strategy serve as the foundation for LACAHSA's progress toward ambitious five-year affordable housing goals, demonstrating how permanent funding sources can transform regional capacity to address homelessness and housing affordability when supported by strong frameworks for interjurisdictional coordination. Finally, HR&A is supporting underwriting for LACAHSA's first Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to guide the Agency's initial round of investments. The underwriting scope involves scoring applicants across a range of criteria including public policy goals, readiness to HR&A Advisors, Inc. RFP #CD-25-26-36 1 4 Client: Westchester County Department of Planning Location: Westchester County, NY Completion: 2022 - 2025 proceed, and financial sustainability. HR&A corresponds and coordinates with applicants, senior LACAHSA staff, and prepares detailed scorecards and underwriting memos that support the awarding of funds by LACAHSA's Board of Directors. This work with LACAHSA gives us direct familiarity with the City's context, its MOU obligations, and the practical realities of translating LACAHSA guidelines into local program design. In addition, HR&A has been contracted to provide technical assistance to two Los Angeles County subregions, Los Angeles Housing Department and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, as an outgrowth of this work. Westchester County Affordable Housing Improvement Plan & Housing Flex Fund HR&A Advisors designed and launched the Housing Flex Fund, funded with a $100 million grant allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, that dramatically increased the County's investments in affordable housing developments and rehabilitations over a two-year period, prioritizing projects that matched the County's public policy priorities and demonstrated shovel -readiness. The engagement spanned strategy development, program design, and full implementation, including underwriting 15 loans supporting over 1,500 affordable homes. HR&A first conducted a comprehensive existing conditions analysis, including a housing gap analysis, program ecosystem scan, and financial feasibility assessment of multiple housing typologies, to develop a set of recommended funding strategies aligned with the County's goals and market realities. HR&A then designed the Housing Flex Fund, including defining program goals and eligibility criteria, drafting application materials, evaluation rubrics, and selection processes, and working collaboratively with County staff throughout. Finally, HR&A supported the deployment of the fund, screening 31 applications, conducting full underwriting on competitive projects, and recommending funding awards to senior County leadership. This experience demonstrates our ability to align a funding strategy with public policy goals and market realities, design a funding program that responds to market needs and generates developer interest, and support the implementation of the program all the way through NOFA design and project approvals. Fairfax County Underwriting & Transaction Support HR&A Advisors, Inc. As part of a real estate advisory on -call contract, HR&A Advisors supports the Department of Housing and Development for Fairfax County, VA (HCD) across diverse workstreams. In 2025 and 2026, HR&A completed a Housing Needs Assessment for Fairfax County that summarized trends and affordability gaps in the rental and owner -occupied markets and quantified its future housing needs. Client: Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community In 2025, HR&A drafted updated underwriting guidelines for three HCD Development affordable rental housing funding programs: gap/soft-debt financing, Location: Fairfax County, VA conduit tax-exempt bond issuances, and FHA risk -share senior loans. Completion: Ongoing The guidelines provide quantitative and qualitative guidelines for underwriting HCD's project investments in a manner that facilitates the production and preservation of high -quality affordable rental homes while ensuring that the projects are sustainable and HCD's financial risk remains within the risk profile for the different programs. In 2025, Fairfax County engaged H R&A to analyze how modifying the County's standard approach to providing gap subsidy could enable today's deals to more significantly reduce their debt burden over time and to deliver additional public benefit over the long term. HR&A modeled four different financing scenarios and performed various tests to determine whether increasing the County's gap subsidy per unit could (1) pay back gap subsidy earlier and recycle capital for future projects, (2) provide excess cash at refinance for property capital expenditures, (3) allow deeper affordability (30%-50% AM units) in years 16+, (4) lower a project's cost of capital by accelerating the gap subsidy pay -in schedule, and (5) provide leverage for negotiating increased ownership and control of projects, among other opportunities. HR&A presented its findings to County leadership and facilitated discussion about the benefits and risks. Finally, HR&A provides ongoing underwriting and transaction support for RFPs involving county land and funding. As part of HCD's public solicitation process, HR&A Advisors evaluates and scores responses to RFPs to redevelop existing County -owned sites into affordable housing. Our analysis helps HCD understand the financial risks of each proposal and the degree to which each would support deeper levels of affordability. Additionally, HR&A Advisors conducts financial due diligence for development proposals requesting the HCD's Blueprint Funds and, when requested, negotiates funding terms with development partners on the Countys behalf, if requested. This experience demonstrates HR&A's ability to serve as a long-term trusted partner to a public agency and support its work across a diverse set of workstreams ranging from data -driven housing needs assessments to program design, technical assistance, and project -level underwriting. HR&A Advisors, Inc. RFP #CD-25-26-36 1 6 Client References The following references are provided on the City's References form included in the submission package. Reference 01 Tommy Newman I Chief of Staff, LACAHSA HR&A partnered with LACAHSA to develop a comprehensive Contact Information Expenditure Plan and Agency Strategy, designing an "all tools in the Tommy.newman@lacahsa.gov toolbox" approach to create flexible programmatic frameworks. HR&A (213) 523-6468 supported LACAHSA's Regional Coordination Plan and continues to support LACAHSA with underwriting for its first NOFA. Dates of Work 2025 - Ongoing Reference 02 Leonard Gruenfeld I Program Administrator, Westchester County Department of Planning Contact Information On behalf of Westchester County's Department of Planning, HR&A Inga@westchestercountyny.gov developed and implemented the County'sAffordable Housing (914) 995-2409 Improvement Plan and a new $100 million Housing Flex Fund, funded through an allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The Dates of work engagement spanned strategy development, program design, and full 2022-2025 implementation, including underwriting and closing 15 loans supporting over 1,500 affordable homes. Reference 03 Callahan Seltzer I Director, Real Estate & Community Development Finance, Fairfax County Housing & Community Contact Information Development Callahan.seltzer@fairfaxcounty.gov HR&A Advisors supports the Department of Housing and Development (703) 324-7329 for Fairfax County, VA (HCD) across a wide range of workstreams from Dates of work housing needs assessments to program design, technical assistance, Ongoing and project -level underwriting. HR&A Advisors, Inc. RFP #CD-25-26-36 1 7 Scope of Work Between 2021 and 2029, the City of Santa Clarita (the "City") must work towards building 10,031 homes, including 5,131 affordable to lower -income households. HR&A understands that the City requires a consultant who can design a complete LACAHSA funding program responsive to residents' housing needs and consistent with the City's ongoing efforts. The elements of this scope are interdependent and will be developed in an iterative, collaborative process with City staff. Compliance with LACAHSA MOU All work performed under this scope will comply with the terms of the City's executed MOU with LACAHSA, which HR&A helped inform. HR&A will ensure that program design elements and implementation activities are consistent with LACAHSA's requirements, eligible use definitions, affordability requirements, and other standards. We will seek clarifications from LACAHSA and provide written guidance where requirements are unclear. Task 0. Project Initiation HR&A will convene a kick-off meeting with City staff to confirm goals, establish data sharing agreements, and stakeholder engagement protocols. Task 1. Affordable Housing Strategy Development HR&A will analyze the Citys housing needs, development constraints, and available funding tools to produce a strategic framework that guides the City's future LACAHSA funding investments. Task 1.1 Existing Conditions Research & Analysis • Review the City's certified 61h Cycle Housing Element and RHNA obligations (10,031 units), identifying the income -level gaps most likely to be addressed through the Citys LACAHSA funding. • Review the City's housing programs and interview City staff to understand their overall approach to funding affordable housing, major challenges, and how the City's LACAHSA funding fits into their thinking. • Review recent affordable housing deliveries in Santa Clarita and the broader market, including projects in the Citys funding pipeline, to assess baseline production capacity and identify gaps. • Leverage our developer contacts from prior work in the region to obtain feedback on development constraints, prior program experience, and interest in City -sponsored grant programs, either with a virtual roundtable or one-on-one outreach. • Analyze local affordability gaps and market conditions using HR&A's Housing Weaver platform. Leverage our prior work in the region to update prototypical pro formas and estimate expected funding gaps based on client and developer feedback. Deliverable: Presentation of Preliminary Findings including overview of findings and opportunities Task 1.2 Housing Strategy Development • Synthesize findings into strategic recommendations for deploying the City's LACAHSA funding and other available resources, including income targeting, product type prioritization, and program alignment.' Deliverables: • Preliminary Affordable Housing Strategy Presentation 'Note: HR&A assumes "other available resources" to cover the Citys existing funding sources -Housing Successor Cash, developer fees for affordable housing and HUD HOME entitlement funds. HR&A Advisors, Inc. RFP #CD-25-26-36 18 • Final Affordable Housing Strategy Document for utilizing LACAHSA funding and other available tools Task 2. Developer Grant Program Design Building off of Task 1.1 and in parallel with Task 1.2, HR&A will design a Developer Grant Program funded by the City's LACAHSA PPO allocation ($2,121,026 for FY 2025-26) that is administratively feasible, LACAHSA-compliant, and calibrated to Santa Clarita's market conditions. Task 2.1 Feasibility and Program Considerations Analysis • Meet with City staff to discuss implementation considerations for a Developer Grant Program supported by LACAHSA PPO funds. • Clarify any questions regarding LACAHSA program requirements with LACAHSA staff Deliverable: Feasibility and Program Considerations Memo Task 2.2 Program Design • Establish program architecture, defining eligible project types, income targeting, maximum funding amounts, and funding priorities calibrated to Santa Clarita's market conditions and LACAHSA PPO affordability requirements. • Draft application materials, developing program guidelines, eligibility criteria, developer capacity standards, application forms, and scoring rubrics that reflect both housing need and development feasibility. • Design the selection process, documenting the review, award, and appeals procedures, including coordination with LACAHSA on board approval requirements. • Build the administrative framework, drafting operational procedures, reporting requirements, and compliance documentation standards that enable City staff to run the program independently after contract close. • Refine and finalize, presenting draft program materials to City staff for review and incorporating direction prior to issuing final documents. Deliverables: • Preliminary Program Guideline Presentation • Final Program Guidelines and Implementation Plan FINAL DELIVERABLE: City Council Presentation Task 3. Technical Assistance Throughout the contract term, HR&A will serve as the City's primary resource for LACAHSA program interpretation and compliance. Specific support will include: • Interpretation of LACAHSA program requirements and guidelines, including eligible uses, affordability restrictions, documentation standards, reporting obligations, and the funding obligation and expenditure timeline (TA funds must be expended within 12 months of obligation) • Guidance on City responsibilities under the MOU, including annual budget requirements, expenditure plan alignment, and coordination with LACAHSA on funding requests • Assistance coordinating with LACAHSA staff as needed, drawing on H R&A's active working relationships with LACAHSA program and compliance staff • Being virtually available during the Council presentation for questions and, if desired, assisting with the presentation to City Council. Division of Work HR&A will perform all analytical, program design, and document production work. We assume City staff will provide direction at key milestones, review and approve deliverables, manage City Council coordination, and lead the Council presentation. H R&A will assist City staff in that presentation. HR&A Advisors, Inc. RFP #CD-25-26-36 1 9 Project Schedule HR&A proposes to complete all deliverables within the Citys projected contract term (anticipated June 2026 execution through February 2027 fund expiration), with the Affordable Housing Strategy and Developer Grant Program Guidelines finalized by December 31, 2026 and the City Council Presentation prepared in January 2027. The schedule below tracks against the City's example timeline and reflects HR&A's proposed additions — including the developer roundtable and feasibility memo — that will strengthen the analytical foundation for program design. HR&A will hold bi-weekly check -in calls with City staff during active project phases to ensure the project remains aligned with the scope and schedule and that deliverables reflect City direction before finalization. Meetings will include Community Preservation Staff, the Management Analyst, and as needed the Planning Division and Community Development Director. Task 0 Project Initiation Jul Aug Sep OctMonth Task 1.1 Existing Conditions Research & Analysis Task 1.2 Housing Strategy Development Task 2.1 Feasibility and Program Considerations Analysis Task 2.2 Program Design Final Deliverable: City Council Presentation ask 3 LACAHSA Implementation & Technical Assistance HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 110 Personnel, Equipment, and Facilities HR&A will staff this engagement with the team that designed LACAHSA's program architecture and has the deepest current knowledge of program requirements. All staff are HR&A employees; no sub -consultants are proposed for this engagement. Staff costs are included in the cost file. sultant Team Paul Silvern Partner Partner -in -Charge Overall quality, client relationship, strategic direction Phillip Kash Partner Senior Advisor Strategic direction of strategy and program design Peter Brewton Principal Project Manager Day-to-day delivery, City coordination, deliverable production Arjun Gupta Sarma Principal Housing Needs Lead analysis of housing Assessment Lead needs through review of existing documents and supplemental analysis with Housing Weaver Additionally, the team will draw from its expansive bench of analytical staff of 158 across HR&A's offices HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 111 Pronouns: He/Him/His Paul Silvern I Partner Paul has been with HR&A since 1986, a Partner since 1993, and served as the Partner -in -Charge of the firm's Los Angeles office from 2007 to 2020. Paul specializes in real estate advisory, economic impact, housing affordability, fiscal impact, financial feasibility, and a wide range of public analysis services for private, public, institutional, and non-profit clients. This has involved him in television and film studio expansions, hotel developments, high- technology office parks, high-rise office buildings, shopping centers, hospital complexes, university campus expansions, large residential developments, professional sports stadia, mixed -use developments, and a variety of planning initiatives. His housing experience ranges from directing the preparation of affordable housing plans and strategies, to drafting and evaluating public development regulations, to financial analysis for private developers and transaction underwriting for public lenders. Education South Bay Cities COG Affordable Housing On -Call University of California Los Angeles, Advised the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) on the Graduate School of Architecture and deployment of its Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency Urban Planning, Master of Arts, (LACAHSA) Measure A allocation across 16 South Bay member cities. HR&A Architecture and Urban Planning, 1979 underwrote SBCCOG's first development under the new program and University of Illinois Urbana, Bachelor developed a threshold and scoring underwriting framework, application of science (with Honors), Architectural review process, and template credit memos and award letters to standardize Studies, 1974 future board decisions. HR&A also provided ongoing advisory support on affordable housing development structuring and how SBCCOG's investments fit within the broader regional financing ecosystem to maximize leverage of Work Experience LACAHSA, state, and federal sources. HR&A Advisors, Inc., 1986 - Present Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Adjunct, Faculty Associate, 1992 City of Santa Monica, California, Policy Development Manager and Director of Planning, 1983 - 1985 Skid Row Development Corporation, Economic Development Specialist, 1979 - 1983 Urban Innovations Group, Project Manager, 1978 - 1979 University of California Los Angeles, Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant, 1976 - 1978 Pacific Missile Test Center, Pt. Mugu, CA, Public Works Engineering Department, Architect, Plans and Programs Branch, 1975 - 1976 Affiliations Long Beach Middle Income Housing Negotiation & Policy Development Supported the City of Long Beach in their evaluation of middle income housing bond financing opportunities. At the city's request, HR&A worked with a local developer to structure a public benefits agreement to add more than 500 units of affordable housing to the redevelopment of the old city hall complex in downtown Long Beach. The financing structure allowed a long stalled deal to move forward with minimal fiscal impact to the City of Long Beach. The new development will provide not only housing for essential workers but also a new grocery store in a long under -served area of the city. HR&A's work increased the number of and depth of affordable units. HR&A then assisted city staff to develop a policy supporting similar future middle -income housing transactions. Southern California Association of Government's Subregional Planning Process Directed a consulting team that assisted the cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica and West Hollywood to participate effectively in the Southern California Association of Government's sub -regional planning process and prepared special studies, including an analysis of what the cities HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 1 12 LA County 3rd District Consolidated could do to promote more mixed -use development, and a model affordable Redevelopment Successor Agencies, housing strategy. Oversight Board, Chair & Vice Chair, 2018 - Present Population, Employment, Housing and Urban Decay Analysis for Major Santa Monica Redevelopment Development in Santa Clarita Valley Successor Agency Oversight Board, Chair, 2012 - 2017 For Newhall Land and Farming Company, analyzed a major mixed -use Santa Monica -Malibu Unified School development in Northern Los Angeles County, conducting a review of District Financial Oversight population, housing, and employment impacts as well as an "urban decay" Committee, Member, Former Chair, analysis for the project's Environmental Impact Report (ElR) process. 2003 - 2017 Analysis to Support Santa Monica's Affordable Housing Production Southern California Association of Governments, Forecast Technical Task Force, Vice Chair, 2002 - 2005 Santa Monica -Malibu Unified School District, Ad -Hoc Committee on District Facilities. 1997 - 1998. 2009 - 2010 Santa Monica College General Advisory Board, Member, 1997 - 1998 City of West Hollywood, Ad -Hoc Task Force on City Organization and Management, 1986 - 1987 Southern California Association of Governments, Planning Director's Committee, 1983 - 1985 Inner City Law Center, Board of Directors, 1982 - 1985 Santa Monica Pier Restoration and Development Task Force, 1982 - 1983 Santa Monica Architectural Review Board, 1981 - 1983 The American Real Estate & Urban Economics Association, 2008 - Present International Economic Development Council, 1982 - Present The Urban Land Institute, 1982 - Present American Planning Association, 1979 - Present American Institute of Architects (Professional Affiliate), 1976 - Present Program Directed detailed analyses of the financial feasibility of developing new market rate apartment and condominium developments, and subsidized apartment projects affordable to lower -income households, in support of recommendations to substantially revise the City of Santa Monica's "inclusionary" housing program. Directed preparation of a precedent -setting "nexus" study to support the imposition of an affordable housing fee as one component of the city's new program. Also directed two subsequent analysis updates to account for changed market circumstances, and prepared annual fee adjustments by formula in following years. Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Development and Preservation Support Supported the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office in the creation of a comprehensive strategy to acquire land and buildings for the development and/or preservation of affordable housing in the County. Advised CEO staff on the strategic deployment of $21 million in Affordable Housing Acquisition funds to address the Countys ongoing housing affordability crisis. Worked with the CEO staff to determine a set of priority criteria for parcel selection, including unit cost, displacement risk, transit adjacency, and density to value ratio. Developed a countywide database of older existing buildings, including those with expiring affordability covenants, and a site prioritization framework for acquisition by the County to preserve existing naturally occurring affordable housing. Later, provided a systematic market scan of the existing inventory of mobile home parks and naturally occurring affordable housing buildings and developed a prioritized shortlist that could be candidates for immediate acquisition. Implementation of Affordable Housing Loan Program for LA County For the Los Angeles County Development Authority, and since 1999, directed analysis related to various aspects of an annual affordable housing development loan program NOFA, including scoring of competitive proposals, due diligence review, extensive consultations with applicants and County staff to finalize deal structures, drafting complex loan documents, and negotiation of loan documents with borrowers, their professional consultants and financial partners, County staff and the County's outside real estate counsel. HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 1 13 Pronouns: He/Him/His Phillip Kash I Partner Phillip Kash leads engagements on affordable housing, strategic planning and resilient disaster recovery. He has two decades of experience designing and implementing housing programs and policies. He has led the development and adoption of housing plans in more than twenty cities, counties and states across the country, from large cities such as Dallas, TX and Detroit, MI, to smaller cities such as Charlottesville, VA and Stamford, CT, and including states such as Maine. He has led the formation of mission driven housing funds and underwritten over $213 in public and mission driven capital to create and preserve affordable homes, and co -led the development of HousingWeaver, a proprietary housing analytics platform that allows users to understand their housing market in real time, measure the impact of their investments on housing, and evaluate the impact of housing policies. Education LACAHSA Organizational Strategy & Expenditure Plan University of North Carolina At Chapel HR&A partnered with the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Hill, Master of City and Regional Agency (LACAHSA) to develop a comprehensive Expenditure Plan and Agency Planning, 2008 Strategy, a major milestone in Los Angeles' effort to combat its affordable University of North Carolina At Chapel housing and homelessness crisis. The Plan allocates funding to fourteen Hill, Bachelor of Arts, Economics, 2005 local jurisdictions and establishes a suite of innovative financing tools to advance diverse local programs. Collectively, the Plan positions LACAHSA to deploy over $380 million annually across housing production, preservation, and renter protection programs. Westchester County Affordable Housing Improvement Plan & Housing Flex Fund On behalf of Westchester County's Department of Planning, developed and implemented a new fund, based on a $100M grant allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to guide the County's investments in affordable housing developments and rehabilitations over a two-year period, prioritizing projects that matched the County's public policy priorities and demonstrated shovel -readiness. Working in close consultation with County staff, HR&A designed application and competitive scoring processes, which aimed to leverage funding to achieve the County's public policy goals of greater housing production and deeper affordability. HR&A screened 31 applications and underwrote over $90M of funding supporting the development and preservation of over 1,200 affordable homes. Wake County AHDP Underwriting 2022 Supported Wake County in implementing its Affordable Housing Development Program (AH DP), which provides gap financing loans to affordable housing projects. Following HR&A's previous assistance to the County in developing the AH DP underwriting guidelines, selection criteria and review process, evaluated six applications in the 2022 funding round. The initial review resulted in preliminary scores and a presentation to the Scoring Committee comprised of county and local government representatives. HR&A then interviewed the six developers and negotiated HR&A Advisors, Inc. I RFP #CD-25-26-36 1 14 best and final offers based on a detailed review of development budgets and cash flow projections, resulting in the submission of funding recommendations to the Wake County Board of Commissioners. California Dream For All Program Design Assisted in the design of a statewide shared appreciation revolving loan fund in California that would provide up to 17% down payment for lower income borrowers. Analyzed housing and homeownership trends across 10 regions in the state. Set potential lending parameters to ensure that the ultimate product would help borrowers who have traditionally been excluded from homeownership. Created a financial model of the potential program to test the impact of changes in home prices, distribution of loans across the state and repayment rates. Then the team adjusted the results based on feedback from local, regional, and state -level stakeholders. This process built support for the program and tested local viability of the new lending product. Finally, supported our client, the State Treasurer's Office, as they presented the concept across the state to advocate for initial funding for the program. The final report laid out all the potential risks and options for various design decisions to provide a roadmap to future policy makers and program administrators. The California State Assembly provided an initial $500 million in funding to move the concept forward. Amazon Housing Equity Fund Supported program design and implementation for Amazon's Housing Equity Fund, a $2 billion commitment to preserve and create 20,000 affordable homes through below -market loans and grants to housing partners, public agencies, and minority -led organizations. Created an affordable housing finance summary of potential investment strategies, conducted a landscape analysis of peer investments in housing, worked with Amazon to refine investment goals and priorities, and developed a clear and concise financial framework to evaluate potential investment options. Conducted an initial market scan in target geographies, assessed the housing need in those geographies to evaluate programmatic components, and conducted high-level financial analysis to test investment portfolio scenarios. Worked closely with Amazon to launch the Housing Equity Fund in January 2021 and continuing to support Amazon in implementation of the program, including underwriting and transaction closing support. HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 1 15 e 6 A. 400 h' Pronouns: He/Him/His Education Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College of Public Policy and Management, Master of Science in Public Policy and Management, 2013 The University of Virginia, Bachelor of Arts, Political and Social Thought, 2008 Work Experience Peter Brewton I Principal Peter brings over ten years of diverse community development and affordable housing experience to HR&A, with a focus on community development lending and investment. Prior to joining HR&A, he most recently served as Lead Underwriter, Texas for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) where he originated and underwrote community development loans in Houston and San Antonio and provided capacity building support to non-profit affordable housing developers in Houston. Peter holds a Master's in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon's Heinz College and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. He lives in Houston, TX. LACAHSA Organizational Strategy & Expenditure Plan HR&A partnered with the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) to develop a comprehensive Expenditure Plan and Agency Strategy, a major milestone in Los Angeles' effort to combat its affordable housing and homelessness crisis. The Plan allocates funding to fourteen local jurisdictions and establishes a suite of innovative financing tools to advance diverse local programs. Collectively, the Plan positions LACAHSA to deploy over $380 million annually across housing production, preservation, and renter protection programs. Amazon Housing Equity Fund H R&A Advisors, Inc., 2022 -Present Local Initiatives Support Supporting the Amazon Housing Equity Fund team in the implementation of Corporation (LISC), Lending Program a $3.6BN low -interest subordinate loan fund dedicated to catalyzing the Officer, 2019-2022 preservation and development of over 35,000 affordable homes, Scope of Bank of New York Mellon, Vice work includes screening, underwriting and closing subordinate loans. Led President, 2018-2019 the closing of over $200M in loans and $10M in grants. Led the negotiations Bank of New York Mellon, Lead for Amazon's investment in the National Housing Trust to create the Amazon Analyst, 2016-2018 Homeownership Initiative. East Liberty Development, Inc., Land CPC Climate Capital Program Design and Underwriting Support Recycling Coordinator, 2014-2016 Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, HR&A, in partnership with Horne Federal, provided underwriting support for Consultant, 2014 CPC Climate Capital, a subsidiary of Community Preservation Corporation Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment (CPC), as it advanced its decarbonization strategy using $2.5 billion from the Group, Program Coordinator, 2013- Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) through the National Clean 2014 Investment Fund (NCIF). CPC Climate Capital's fund aimed to finance the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by providing subordinate debt financing to multifamily housing owners nationwide, facilitating the shift away from on -site fossil fuel usage. HR&A helped design and implement the loan program. Drafted key program documents including external facing term sheets, internal facing underwriting guidelines, and credit memo templates. Supported the management of CPC Climate Capital's lending pipeline through the screening, underwriting, and closing phases. HR&A's program design and transaction support work focused on the strategic goal of structuring financing that incented affordable housing developers to incorporate energy HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 1 16 efficiency measures that they would not have otherwise implemented, while complying with EPA's federal cross -cutting guidance. Austin Housing Portfolio Analysis and Site Selection Tool On behalf of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), developed a comprehensive site -specific affordable housing strategy to guide the development of 12 publicly owned sites, creating a digital platform and financial tools to support AHFC's future housing initiatives. The strategy aimed to maximize affordable housing production, leveraging available financing mechanisms while accounting for zoning constraints, transit accessibility, LIHTC competitiveness, and funding gaps. Analyzed each site's development potential, evaluating its eligibility for Low -Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), zoning and regulatory barriers, and infrastructure needs. Created a development strategy that optimized unit yield while balancing neighborhood -specific factors and AHFC's financing capacity. Built a series of template proformas to help AHFC evaluate future development opportunities and assess funding needs. Developed a digital site selection tool to streamline future affordable housing site acquisitions, automating site assessments and calculating parcel's competitiveness for LIHTC based on state criteria. Westchester Housing Flex Fund On behalf of Westchester County's Department of Planning, developed and implemented a new fund, based on a $100M grant allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to guide the County's investments in affordable housing developments and rehabilitations over a two-year period, prioritizing projects that matched the County's public policy priorities and demonstrated shovel -readiness. Working in close consultation with County staff, designed application and competitive scoring processes, which aimed to leverage funding to achieve the County's public policy goals of greater housing production and deeper affordability. Screened 31 applications and underwrote over $90M of funding supporting the development and preservation of over 1,200 affordable homes. Wake County AHDP Underwriting 2024 and 2022 Supported Wake County in implementing its Affordable Housing Development Program (AH DP), which provides gap financing loans to affordable housing projects. Following HR&A's previous assistance to the County in developing the AH DP underwriting guidelines, selection criteria and review process, evaluated six applications in the 2022 funding round and ten in the 2024 funding round. Initial reviews resulted in preliminary scores and a presentation to the Scoring Committee comprised of county and local government representatives. Interviewed the developers and negotiated best and final offers based on a detailed review of development budgets and cash flow projections, resulting in the submission of funding recommendations to the Wake County Board of Commissioners. HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 1 17 Pronouns: He/Him/His Arjun Gupta Sarma I Principa Arjun leads digital product development at HR&A, focusing on the intersection of quantitative methods, data science, web development, and policy to drive insights and decision -making for clients across the country. With a strong belief in leveraging data and technology to tackle complex urban challenges, Arjun collaborates with public and private sector clients to develop interactive dashboards, spatial analysis tools, and policy calculators. These digital products enable monitoring of housing market conditions, demonstrate the impacts of development policies, and advocate for equitable outcomes. Education Charlottesville Upzoning Study Harvard University, Master in Urban Evaluated the feasibility of an inclusionary zoning policy with RHI and Code Planning, Real Estate and Urban Studio. Followed up on recommendations from the City of Charlottesville's Development, 2017 Affordable Housing Plan adopted in March 2021 calling for a rewrite of its University of California - Berkeley, BA existing zoning ordinance to support housing affordability across the city. - Political Economy, 2014 Used a series of financial models that considered existing market conditions and land use plans to determine the feasibility of offering affordable units in Work Experience scenarios that incorporate different depths and levels of affordability (% of H R&A Advisors, Inc., 2017 - Present AMI and number of affordable units), development types, density levels, and/or developer incentive packages. Reviewed the Future Land Use Map's Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Summer Fellow, Greater requirements and established market and development assumptions to Ashmont Main Street, 2016 evaluate the rate of change of the policy's impact on property value and new City of Austin Code Department, housing production. Produced final recommendations of the study expected Research Analyst, 2014 - 2015 to be implemented into Charlottesville's new Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) Policy. Austin Energy Green Building, San Diego Affordable Housing Study Research Analyst Intern, 2014 UC Berkeley Institute of Urban & Developed a parcel -level inventory of all available subsidized and naturally - Regional Development, Golden Gate affordable housing in San Diego, and developed financial analyses and policy Initiative, Research Assistant, 2012 - recommendations to guide the City's preservation efforts. Created a 2014 regression algorithm that estimated the likelihood a parcel had naturally - affordable units —based on indicators like location, building age, size, and school district. Based on this analysis, developed typologies of the most common types of multifamily buildings with the most naturally -affordable units and mapped the city's NOAH inventory. Conducted financial analyses for each of the typologies to estimate the subsidy required to preserve each unit. Montgomery County Preservation Study Led a study to assess Montgomery County s current and future housing needs in support of the County's Thrive Montgomery 2050 general plan update. Analyzed demographic, economic, and housing market conditions, both benchmarking the county to its regional context and examining intra- county submarket trends. The study then identified and quantified the county's housing needs, understood as not only the overall supply of HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 1 18 housing required to accommodate county growth, but also the tenure, affordability, and types of housing required. Montgomery County Housing Needs Assessment Led an engagement with Montgomery National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) along with LSA Associates and Neighborhood Fundamentals to develop a detailed inventory of existing deed -restricted and unrestricted housing countywide. Based on this analysis, developed typologies of the most common types of multifamily buildings with the most naturally -affordable units and mapped the city's housing inventory. Developed recommendations detailed around policy tools, capacity -building, and financing sources to support preservation activities, as well as a review of nationwide best practices for preservation in comparable jurisdictions. City of Atlanta Equitable Housing Needs Assessment Developing an equitable housing needs assessment for the City of Atlanta and Fulton County to inform housing development as Atlanta moves towards its 2040 population growth target. Reviewing existing affordable housing plans, programs, and policies; analyzing demographic and market conditions; identifying existing publicly subsidized and naturally occurring affordable housing; and assessing affordable housing demand through a housing gap analysis to advise affordable housing production goals. Performing a financial feasibility analysis and assessment of existing affordable housing tools to develop recommendations for improving the City's current toolkit and implementing changes to mediate projected shortfalls. Working closely with stakeholders and the Atlanta Office of Housing and Community Development to develop a final housing needs assessment and implementation road map for the City. Austin Housing Portfolio Analysis and Site Selection Tool On behalf of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, developed a site - specific affordable housing strategy for a pre-existing portfolio, built a series of template proformas to aid AHFC in future development evaluation, and built a digital tool that would inform site selection for AHFC moving forward. The portfolio strategy focused on the development of affordable housing across a portfolio of 12 sites acquired by AH FC. A separate, parallel workstream resulted in the building of a digital tool for AHFC. Because the Texas QAP is highly spatially prescriptive, having a digital tool that computes each parcel's individual LIHTC site selection scoring is imperative to viable LIHTC development. This digital tool was informed by the parameters of the Texas Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) to allow AHFC to instantly determine a parcel's competitiveness for LIHTC when contemplating future site acquisitions. HR&A Advisors, Inc. PFP #CD-25-26-36 1 19 Facilities and Equipment HR&A's Los Angeles office is located at 700 S. Flower Street, Suite 2995, Los Angeles, CA 90017. All analytical work will be conducted using HR&A's internal systems and analytical platforms, including the Housing Weaver affordability modeling platform. No specialized equipment or City -provided facilities are required for this engagement. All staff are available for in -person meetings in Santa Clarita as needed; most coordination will occur via video conference. HR&A Advisors, Inc.