Since the recession in the early 1990's, the national economy has experienced an unprecedented boom and growth in high-tech jobs which has helped to reverse several negative trends, most notably crime and the decline of many American cities. However, our economic growth has driven up home prices to twice the inflation rate and rents to 1.5 times the inflation rate, worsening an already severe shortage of affordable housing. Fred Consulting Associates is dedicated to expanding affordable housing opportunities in both cities and rural areas by offering the following services: We work with housing authorities, redevelopment agencies and other local government agencies to assist in the development of affordable rental and owner-occupied housing We design and implement Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Programs for first time homebuyers. FCA has designed and implemented over thirty MCC Programs throughout California which have provided homeownership opportunities to over 15,000 first time homebuyers. We specialize in housing finance, designing down payment assistance programs, lease-purchase programs, and projects which utilize HOME, redevelopment agency and other sources of funds. We identify and secure financing for affordable housing such as low-income housing tax credits, mortgage revenue bonds and other private or public resources that can provide the needed capital to complete a project. We work as project managers, writing development pro formas, submitting applications for funding, coordinating the team of attorneys, architects, and city and/or county officials, and financing agencies from the project proposal stage through site acquisition and construction to project completion. We manage all phases of financing, from submitting the applications through managing the use of funds to ensure compliance with state regulations. We assist in the formation of limited partnerships and in negotiating the equity paid in by the limited partners. We complete community feasibility studies examining the need and receptivity of new residential development. These housing needs assessments include site evaluations, income projections, identifying the housing needs of special populations, and market and financial analyses of prospective projects. We develop comprehensive project master plans and permit applications, managing all phases of the public approval process, including planning commission hearings, city council hearings, county boards of supervisors hearings, design review, etc. We develop General Plan Housing Elements, Consolidated Plans and Redevelopment Agency Housing Programs, including the implementation and administration of the respective housing programs. Fred Consulting Associates brings over 18 years' experience in housing development, assisting local governmental agencies to expand affordable housing opportunities. We have been centrally involved in first time homebuyer programs, housing for special needs populations, and other rental and owner-occupied housing projects in a variety of cities and rural areas. Our commitment is to help local governments choose housing programs and projects that are most likely to succeed, and then to manage these programs and projects so that the goal of affordability for the consumer can be achieved.