What Brawner does

Brawner (legal entity JH Brawner & Company) is a privately held affordable housing development consulting firm founded in 1996 by Jim Brawner and headquartered in Snoqualmie, Washington. The firm serves public housing authorities and non-profit clients nationwide, providing full-lifecycle consulting services from initial feasibility and acquisition due diligence through financial closing, construction oversight, and asset management. Core capabilities include acquisition due diligence, financial analysis, capital needs assessments, construction cost estimating, contractor and architect procurement, lender and investor procurement, tax credit applications (4% and 9% LIHTC), HUD repositioning programs (RAD, Section 18, Streamlined Voluntary Conversion), construction loan structuring, transaction closing, and resident relocation planning. The firm operates three regional offices in Issaquah (WA), Durham (OR), and Gilbert (AZ), and complements its consulting work through a wholly owned subsidiary, McCullough Allen, which provides Owner's Representative services during construction.

The firm monetizes these services through project-based professional services engagements with quote-based, scope-tied pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales centered on relationship-driven engagement with housing authorities and non-profits, with Jim Brawner serving as the key point of contact for high-level partnerships and Zak de Gorgue leading project execution. Over its 30-year history, Brawner reports helping clients develop, acquire, or reposition more than 20,000 affordable housing units across a cumulative $3 billion in total development cost, serving 26+ housing authorities. Active engagements span complex repositionings (e.g., HAWC's 592-unit portfolio at $256.85M), Section 18 dispositions (Park Place, $126.75M), HOPE VI mixed-finance redevelopments (Greenbridge/Eastbridge, 549 units), historic rehabilitations (YWCA Fifth & Seneca, $77.78M, recipient of a 2025 State Historic Preservation Officer Award), and stacked-capital mixed-use developments (Housing Hilltop in Tacoma, up to $82.8M).

Brawner's competitive position rests on specialized HUD regulatory expertise, deep domain talent drawn from housing authority backgrounds, and a 30-year track record that has produced a broad lender and investor network spanning RBC, Bank of America, Banner Bank, Hudson Housing Capital, Boston Capital, Citi Community Capital, Umpqua Bank, and public agencies including HUD, Washington State Department of Commerce, Oregon Housing & Community Services, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, and multiple municipal funders. The firm is actively expanding its footprint into Arizona and Texas, building out construction oversight capacity via the McCullough Allen subsidiary, and pursuing 2026 pipeline projects in Pierce County and Maricopa County. No AI/ML capabilities are evidenced; the offering is fundamentally a human-expert professional services model.

Name

Brawner

Legal name

JH Brawner & Company

Website

https://jhbrawner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brawner is a private affordable housing development consulting firm serving public housing authorities and non-profits nationwide. It provides full-lifecycle consulting on HUD repositioning programs (RAD, Section 18), LIHTC syndications, and mixed-finance developments, with $3 billion in total project development cost across 20,000+ units and 26+ housing authority clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Development Consulting

NAICS

Real Estate Credit (522292), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Affordable housing consulting
• Real estate development
• HUD program advisory
• LIHTC syndication
• Public housing authority services

Headquarters

HQ city

Snoqualmie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Development Consulting Services: Brawner provides comprehensive financial and development consulting services to housing authorities and non-profits for affordable housing projects. Services include acquisition due diligence, financial analysis, capital needs assessment, construction cost estimating, contractor/architect procurement, lender and investor procurement, tax credit applications, construction loan structuring, transaction closing, and post-closing services including cost tracking and final cost certification. The firm also provides owner representative services through its subsidiary McCullough Allen, and asset management and resident relocation planning services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brawner provides comprehensive financial and development consulting services to public housing authorities and non-profit clients for affordable multifamily housing projects. Services span the full development lifecycle, including acquisition due diligence, financial analysis, Capital Needs Assessment, construction cost estimating, lender and investor procurement, LIHTC tax credit applications, HUD repositioning programs (RAD, Section 18, SVC), construction loan structuring, transaction closing, resident relocation planning, and post-closing asset management. Its subsidiary McCullough Allen delivers Owner's Representative services during the construction phase.

Product overview

Brawner is an affordable housing development consulting firm offering a single unified service: comprehensive financial and development consulting for housing authorities and non-profit clients. The core offering encompasses the full development lifecycle from initial feasibility through transaction closing and into construction oversight. Services include acquisition due diligence, financial analysis, Capital Needs Assessment, construction cost estimating, lender and investor procurement, tax credit applications (4% and 9% LIHTC), construction loan structuring, transaction closing, resident relocation planning, and asset management. Brawner's subsidiary McCullough Allen provides complementary Owner's Representative services during the construction phase. The company specializes in affordable acquisition, HUD development programs, repositioning studies, Year 15 exits, housing rehabilitation, and new construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial and Development Consulting Services Comprehensive consulting services for housing authorities and non-profits covering the full affordable housing development lifecycle: acquisition due diligence, financial analysis, value determination, Capital Needs Assessment, construction cost estimating, lender and investor procurement and selection, partnership and debt document review, tax credit application (4% and 9% LIHTC), construction loan structuring, transaction closing, resident relocation planning, and asset management services.
• McCullough Allen Owner's Representative Services Owner's Representative services delivered through Brawner's wholly-owned subsidiary McCullough Allen, including procurement, design coordination, budget and schedule management, and contractor oversight during the construction phase of affordable housing developments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ affordable housing units developed, acquired, and repositioned
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McCullough AllencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrawner's subsidiary providing Owner's Representative services for development projects prior to and during construction. McCullough Allen supports project management, procurement, design coordination, budget and schedule management, and contractor oversight.
• SMR ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnering on YWCA Fifth & Seneca (historic rehabilitation) and Lexington Concord Apartments (new construction) projects. Provides architectural design services for affordable housing developments.
• Truebeck ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction firm partner on Park Place (cottage cluster development) and Lexington Concord Apartments (new construction) projects. Engaged as design-builder and general contractor.
• Andersen ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction firm partner on YWCA Fifth & Seneca historic rehabilitation project. Provides construction services for the rehabilitation of the downtown Seattle landmark building.
• Bora Architecture & InteriorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnering on Park Place project for Clackamas Heights Redevelopment, transforming 19-acre site into cottage cluster community with 200 new units.
• LMC ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction contractor for HAWC multi-year renovation project spanning 592 units across 10 properties. Provides rehabilitation construction services for Holly Tree Village and other HAWC communities.
• Pinnacle ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for HAWC multi-property renovation project spanning 592 units across 10 affordable housing properties in Oregon communities.
• Ink BuiltminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction partner for HAWC multi-property renovation project across six Oregon communities (Aloha, Beaverton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, and Tigard).
• Walsh Construction Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign builder for Woodspring Apartments renovation (172 units in Tigard, OR). Provides construction services for comprehensive renovation preserving affordability.
• MWA Architects, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for Woodspring renovation project and design builder for the comprehensive 172-unit renovation in Tigard, OR.
• MMR ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign builder for Woodspring Apartments renovation project. Provides architectural and construction services for the preservation and renovation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BRIDGE Housing: BRIDGE Housing is a West Coast-focused nonprofit affordable housing developer with a portfolio of multifamily properties. Its development and repositioning work is comparable to projects Brawner advises on for housing authorities.
• Mercy Housing: Mercy Housing is a large national nonprofit affordable housing developer that builds, owns, and operates affordable rental housing. Its development work and advisory services overlap with Brawner's affordable housing development consulting offerings.
• CohnReznick: CohnReznick is a national advisory, accounting, and tax firm with a large affordable housing and LIHTC practice. It competes with Brawner on transaction structuring, underwriting, and tax credit advisory for affordable housing clients.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise Community Partners is one of the largest U.S. affordable housing developers and consultancies, with a national footprint and a similar mission-driven focus. It offers comprehensive development services alongside financing and policy advisory that overlaps with Brawner's scope.

Direct peers

• Forsyth Street Advisors: Forsyth Street Advisors is a financial advisory firm specializing in affordable housing and LIHTC transactions, providing consulting services similar to Brawner for housing authorities, non-profits, and developers structuring complex tax credit deals.
• NCS Advisors: NCS Advisors is a real estate advisory firm focused on affordable housing, LIHTC, and tax-exempt bond financing, providing consulting services that overlap with Brawner's transaction structuring and financing procurement work.
• Recap Real Estate Advisors: Recap Real Estate Advisors provides real estate financial advisory and consulting services with a focus on affordable housing and LIHTC transactions, closely paralleling Brawner's development consulting and transaction structuring offerings.

Others

• Boston Capital: Boston Capital is a major LIHTC syndicator and investor that partners with Brawner on multiple projects. While not a direct competitor, Boston Capital operates in the affordable housing finance ecosystem and is a key counterparty for transactions Brawner structures.
• Hudson Housing Capital: Hudson Housing Capital is a LIHTC syndicator and equity investor that has partnered with Brawner on Sunset Gardens and Park Place projects. It is a key financial counterparty rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same affordable housing ecosystem.

Emerging players

• NDC Housing Partners: NDC Housing Partners is a smaller affordable housing development and advisory firm focused on LIHTC and HUD programs. While primarily an East Coast firm, its development consulting and repositioning work is comparable to Brawner's offerings in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brawner