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Housing Programs & Policies
Having adequate capacity and the right tools and policies in place is essential to foster housing affordability in any community. We help our clients stand up new housing programs and entities to build a stronger housing ecosystem that is positioned to address local needs and support the development of affordable housing. We also work with states, counties, and municipalities to assess and design successful housing programs and policies that achieve community goals. We understand what tools — from office to residential conversions, zoning ordinances, preservation strategies, and everything in between — will work for local contexts. Working with public and private entities across the country, we help our clients create their own customized toolkits to drive housing solutions in their backyard.
HR&A supported the City of Boston’s Planning Department (fka the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA)) in studying the feasibility of converting vacant downtown offices to residences through subsidies, tax incentives, and expedited permitting, which resulted in the City launching an office conversion pilot program. Since its launch in October 2023, the program has received applications proposing nearly 800 new homes, and in 2024 the City extended the pilot with $15 million in new funding from the State.
Recognizing the opportunity the City has to invest in its existing housing stock to preserve affordability, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) engaged HR&A and National Housing Trust (NHT) to create the Affordable Housing Preservation Study — a robust inventory and projections of San Diego’s existing affordable housing and a policy framework designed to preserve affordability.
Over 2,000 lower-income Californians have achieved homeownership through a statewide shared appreciation revolving loan fund that HR&A helped design. Our analysis of housing trends across 10 regions and development of lending parameters created a sustainable down payment assistance program addressing affordability barriers.
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In 2024, Los Angeles County voters approved Measure A, a historic 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 County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA), creating frameworks that enable 13 regional agencies to deploy this permanent funding source while maintaining regional alignment toward the goal of producing 9,000 new affordable homes over the next five years.
In response to input from residents, affordable housing advocates and developers, the City of New Haven engaged HR&A to develop an inclusionary zoning policy that ensures long-term affordability, inclusive growth, and thriving neighborhoods. Over 50 affordable homes have been approved since the ordinance’s approval in 2022. 
HR&A conducted a comprehensive assessment of MARTA's transit-oriented development and affordable housing programs, providing strategic recommendations to improve program effectiveness and attract more national developers. Through analysis of regional development trends, performance benchmarking against peer agencies, and evaluation of MARTA's property portfolio, we identified key improvements that positioned the agency to enhance development partnerships and outcomes while advancing community revitalization goals.
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