Housing Partners

What Housing Partners does

Housing Partners, Inc. (HPI) is a privately held, full-service affordable housing consulting firm founded in 1995 in Watertown, Massachusetts. The firm is owned equally by founding partners Marvin Siflinger (Chairman) and Eleanor White (President/CEO), both former senior leaders of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Boston Area Office, and operates with a small core staff supplemented by contract consultants and one affiliate (Charles Eisenberg of Eisenberg Consulting, since 2004). The firm advises government agencies, public housing authorities, for-profit and non-profit housing developers, universities, and community organizations across the United States on strategic planning, development and redevelopment feasibility, program design, and organizational development, with particular depth in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, Section 8 restructuring, and Massachusetts-specific housing programs.

HPI's service portfolio spans public housing advisory, smart growth zoning consulting under Massachusetts Chapter 40R (a statute co-authored by the firm's principals), Workforce Housing Trust Fund advisory, LIHTC and NMTC financing assistance, and pre-approved Gateways Plus program consulting for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. The principals are co-authors of two major Massachusetts housing statutes — Chapter 40R Smart Growth Zoning and Housing Production (2004) and the Workforce Housing Trust Fund (2016) — providing insider regulatory expertise that drives referral-based demand. Notable past engagements span HUD, Standard & Poor's, the U.S. Department of Defense, the City of Boston, Harvard University, AFL/CIO Housing Investment Trust, and multiple Massachusetts housing authorities.

The business model is project-based professional services delivery, with revenue generated through direct consulting engagements, competitive government procurement (including pre-approved DHCD consultant status that bypasses full RFP processes), and referrals from established industry networks. HPI does not disclose pricing or revenue, and its GTM motion is sales-led, relying on the founders' professional reputations, board roles at industry associations, academic speaking engagements, and subcontractor networks rather than active marketing. The firm has no technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no recurring software or data products.

Name

Housing Partners

Legal name

Housing Partners, Inc.

Website

https://housingpartnersinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Housing Partners is a privately held affordable housing consulting firm founded in 1995, serving U.S. government agencies, housing authorities, for-profit and non-profit developers, and universities with strategic planning, feasibility, and program development advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Consulting

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110)

SIC

Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

National Housing Finance Agencies & Ministries (FSALAKAB), Multifamily & Student Housing Asset Management (BPAJAMAD)

Keywords

• Affordable housing consulting
• Housing development advisory
• Public housing authority consulting
• Smart growth zoning consulting
• Low-income housing tax credits

Headquarters

HQ city

Watertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for affordable housing development, strategic planning, program development, and organizational development serving government agencies, housing authorities, for-profit and non-profit developers, universities, and community organizations throughout the United States.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Housing Partners, Inc. is a full-service national affordable housing consulting firm that provides strategic planning, development feasibility analysis, program development, and organizational development services to government agencies, housing authorities, for-profit and non-profit housing developers, universities, and community organizations across the United States. The firm also advises on smart growth zoning (Chapter 40R), the Workforce Housing Trust Fund, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, and Section 8 housing programs.

Product overview

Housing Partners, Inc. is a full-service national affordable housing consulting firm offering a portfolio of advisory services rather than a software product or platform. The core offering is consulting services encompassing strategic planning, development feasibility, program development, and organizational development. These services are delivered through specialized modules including public housing advisory, smart growth zoning consulting (Chapter 40R), workforce housing trust fund consulting, low-income housing tax credit advisory, new markets tax credits advisory, and Gateways Plus program consulting. The firm serves government agencies, housing authorities, for-profit and non-profit developers, universities, and community groups throughout the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Consulting Services
• Public Housing Advisory Services
• Smart Growth Zoning Consulting (Chapter 40R)
• Workforce Housing Trust Fund Consulting
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Advisory
• New Markets Tax Credits Advisory
• Gateways Plus Program Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Doubled MHFA's real estate portfolio from $2 billion to $4.2 billion during leadership tenure
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eisenberg Consulting (Charles Eisenberg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharles Eisenberg of Eisenberg Consulting became an affiliate of Housing Partners, Inc. in 2004. With 40 years of experience in housing and commercial real estate development, management, market analysis and project management, he brings particular expertise in highly-sophisticated analysis of market demand, financing options, and financial feasibility of housing development.
• Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered with Coopers & Lybrand on multiple engagements including assessment for the HUD Secretary of Detroit Housing Authority performance and assistance to HUD/FHA in developing new business strategic plan.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorked with PwC on new product development assistance to HUD/FHA.
• Northeastern University Center for Urban and Regional PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded the World Class Housing Collaborative with Northeastern University's Center for Urban and Regional Policy. Both founding partners have served as adjunct faculty and senior fellows at the university.
• Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSelected by MA DHCD through a competitive process as a pre-approved consultant for the Gateways Plus program. This designation allows communities implementing Gateways Plus programs to select HPI without a full RFP process.
• Standard & Poor's of New YorkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRetained by S&P to assist in developing and marketing a national evaluation product focused on public housing authorities, with the goal of bringing significant sources of private capital into the public housing system.
• Concord Square Development (Ted Carman)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored the Workforce Housing Trust Fund program with Ted Carman of Concord Square Development, enacted as part of the 2016 Economic Development bill in Massachusetts.
• Citizens Housing and Planning AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoth founding partners serve on the board and have held leadership positions including President. Prominent Massachusetts housing industry association providing networking and visibility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KPMG: Big Four advisory firm with a real estate and government services practice that competes for HUD, PHA, and HFA consulting engagements overlapping Housing Partners' federal housing footprint.
• Baker Tilly: Top-10 advisory firm with a dedicated affordable housing practice serving PHAs, HFAs, and developers on Section 8, LIHTC, and organizational development—a direct competitor on the same government RFPs.
• CohnReznick: National accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated affordable housing practice serving LIHTC developers, housing authorities, and state HFAs—directly overlapping Housing Partners' LIHTC and Section 8 advisory work.
• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers): Global professional services firm that has partnered with Housing Partners on HUD/FHA engagements and competes on large federal housing advisory mandates with substantially larger teams.

Direct peers

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that directly advises and invests in affordable housing development, serving the same government agencies, PHAs, and nonprofits as Housing Partners with overlapping focus on LIHTC and program design.
• HR&A Advisors: Real estate and economic development advisory firm that consults on affordable housing strategy, mixed-income development, and public-sector housing programs for similar government and institutional clients.
• National Housing Trust: Nonprofit real estate developer and advisor on affordable rental housing preservation and development, comparable to Housing Partners' mission-aligned advisory work for public and nonprofit clients.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution that provides advisory, lending, and program management services to PHAs and nonprofits—closely mirroring Housing Partners' PHA engagement model.
• The Compass Group / Compass Affordable Housing: Specialized consulting firm providing training, technical assistance, and program support to PHAs and HUD grantees—closely aligned with Housing Partners' public-sector advisory model.

Emerging players

• Recap Real Estate Advisors: Niche housing finance and asset management advisory firm serving HFAs and multifamily developers, comparable in scale and mission focus to Housing Partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housing-partners-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Housing Partners