Key Services

• Developers, landowners and housebuilders: Valuing residential and mixed use schemes with a focus on affordable housing; producing viability assessments to ensure that planning obligations and the level and tenure mix of affordable housing are appropriate; selecting partner RPs for mixed use and regeneration schemes and bringing them to contract; advising on suitable wording in Section 106 agreements; advising on design issues.
• Contractors: Providing project management support for affordable housing PFI and recommending consortium structures, as well as advising on extra care schemes.
• RPs: Providing bid support for land acquisition opportunities, producing and reviewing financial models for mixed use and regeneration schemes, and preparing cases to the HCA for additional grant funding on a range of schemes. Recent work involves the production of specialist financial models that enable equity and gap funding provided by the HCA to be repaid equitably as the housing market recovers.
• Local authorities: Preparing strategies on intermediate housing and providing financial advice (including the identification of grant funding and best value) for regeneration schemes; advising on planning contributions including affordable housing; supporting tenants on a stock options .
• NHS A research study for Addenbrooke’s Hospital on emerging issues in affordable housing, including the intermediate housing market, as well as providing research and advice on NHS key worker housing for the NHS and property companies.

Douglas Birt Consulting is part of the TNS/RI team that is responsible for the Tenant Services Authority’s CORE affordable housing database.