Barriers to the Rehabilitation of Affordable Housing Volume II: Case Studies

Our study of the barriers to the rehabilitation of affordable housing relied on multiple sources of
information and data. These included the existing literature; the study’s resource group, often
contacted by telephone; and technical analyses, such as a review the low-income housing tax
credit’s (LIHTC) qualified allocation plan (QAP) criteria. Our analysis also drew from the
research team’s considerable rehab experience.
The multiple sources provided an extensive base of information on the barriers to affordablehousing renovation; however, the sources had limits as to the amount and nature of information
that could be covered. For example, because of time and other constraints, the telephone
discussions with the resource group were not suitable for ascertaining the numerous
modifications to, or evolution of, a specific rehab program. In addition, the telephone discussions
did not allow for the face-to-face rapport that encourages a rehab developer or lender to give a
candid, introspective evaluation of the problems encountered. Accordingly, the study included a
series of case studies to assess the experiences of those doing rehab on a day-to-day basis. This
volume describes the purpose of the case studies, details the case study organization, and
provides, in Chapters 6 through 11, an account of each investigation.