Housing and Finance Group
The Housing and Finance Group encompasses multiple experts in a broad array of federal agency housing programs and financing tools. Econometrica, Inc. maintains a strong base of in-house expertise that can be augmented by contracted subject matter experts.
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Housing & Finance
*Asterisk Fields Required
Housing & Finance
Technical Assistance
- Needs Assessment
- Recruitment and Training
- Policies and Procedures
- Reorganization and Realignment
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Asset Repositioning
Audits and Reviews
- Statistical Sampling
- Accounting and Reporting Support
- Monitoring and Oversight
- Financial Analysis
Program Evaluation
- Research Design
- Data Collection
- Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis
- Impact Studies
Program Support
- Grants Management
- Credit Budgeting
- Staff Augmentation
- Communications
- Performance Improvement
- Data Management and Quality Control
Technical Assistance
- Needs Assessment – Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the cognizant agency to determine the best approach to meeting their need for technical assistance.
- Recruitment and Training – Assesses the job requirements and skills of existing staff to identify gaps that could be filled by hiring new staff or training existing staff. For new hires, develops job descriptions and skill requirements for new staff, identifies modes for attracting job candidates and evaluates job applicants for suitability. For existing staff, develops training curriculum and materials, and develops and implements a training plan, including online training, where advisable.
- Policies and Procedures – Reviews regulations and guidance, interviews staff, and maps out workflows, to develop written policies and procedures for critical business activities, including financial management, procurement and contracting, asset management, personnel management, and other functions.
- Reorganization and Realignment – Devises and executes plans for agencies to restructure themselves organizationally in response to changes in their economic, social and political environment, as needed, to increase their financial strength and mission performance over the long run.
- Asset Repositioning – Develops and implements plans for real property agencies to reposition their affordable housing assets through some form of demolition, disposition, acquisition, or redevelopment, to preserve or improve the performance of those assets.
Audits and Reviews
- Statistical Sampling – Our Ph.D. statisticians have years of experience in the design and selection of statistical samples, including the use of stratified random sampling using optimal allocations, to enable auditors and analysts to meet their testing requirements with a reliable degree of confidence given specified materiality constraints while controlling for audit costs.
- Accounting and Reporting Support – Where agencies require assistance with following through on standard account procedures and completing financial reports that are timely and accurate, our team of internal and external accountants stand ready to lend their support.
- Monitoring and Oversight – Our experienced staff supports agencies by providing ongoing monitoring and oversight of outside entities to ensure their compliance with program requirements, adherence to standards of professional practice and maintenance of acceptable levels of risk.
- Financial Analysis – Using the latest concepts, tools and databases, our financial analysts compile the information and conduct the analysis for understanding asset values, return on asset or return on investment, capital budgeting and allocation, and other modern metrics of financial performance.
Program Evaluation
- Research Design – Designing a suitable approach to addressing the questions the research wants to address is the first step to the conduct of a credible research project. Research can be quantitative or qualitative, mostly descriptive or trying to establish correlations between variables. It can even try to establish causation, for instance, through an experimental or quasi-experimental research design.
- Data Collection – Choice of data collection method is closely tied to the research design as well as the characteristics of the data sources and the timing and cost of the research project. Primary data for qualitative and quantitative studies can be collected through interviews, questionnaires and surveys — online, via telephone or on-site and in-person – focus groups, direct observation, or document collection, review and data abstraction.
- Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis – Quantitative and qualitative data demand different approaches to analysis and different skills in the analysis. Qualitative data is non-numeric and conceptual. Analyzing qualitative data is more interpretative, focused on capturing themes and patterns. Quantitative data is number-based or convertible to numbers. Analyzing quantitative data means establishing measurable amounts or relationships among the data, such as correlations.
- Impact Studies – Government agencies at all levels conduct impact studies of their programs, initiatives, proposed rules, and regulations. The approach used in these impact studies varies depending on the objective of the study and the circumstances under which they are being conducted. They include economic or fiscal impact studies, cost-benefit analyses, and programmatic impact studies focused on intended or unintended program outcomes.
Program Support
- Grants Management – Assists agencies with all aspects of grants management, from preparation of funding request and evaluation of grant proposals to oversight and monitoring of grantees as well as reporting and close-out of grant awards.
- Credit Budgeting – Provides expertise in budgeting, accounting and reporting requirements for direct loan and loan guarantee programs pursuant to the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990. Includes preparation of credit subsidy estimates and re-estimates and compliance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11 and guidance from FASAB (Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board).
- Staff Augmentation – Supplies appropriate contractor staff used to support operations of various Federal programs. Contractor staff are recruited, vetted and trained to fulfill their assigned responsibilities, working under the supervision of Federal Agency personnel.
- Communications – Deploys our in-house communications specialists, editors, graphic and website designers, and subject matter experts to formulate and implement a communication and outreach strategy that effectively and efficiently communicates an agency’s initiatives to the target audience.
- Performance Improvement – Following standard gap analysis protocols, our experienced staff describe the current state of an organization or program, review industry guidelines and interview active professionals to conceptualize the desired future state and analyze the resulting gap between the two to develop an implementation strategy for making reasonable improvements to an organization that will put it back on the path to continuous improvement.
- Data Management and Quality Control – Agencies often call on outside contractors, like Econometrica, to assist them in the management of their databases. As needed, our staff and facilities have the requisite security clearances and technical capabilities to collect, maintain, analyze, and scrub agency databases.
Highlights of Econometrica’s Housing & Finance
Evaluation of Rental Assistance Demonstration
TASK: Develop and execute research strategy to collect and analyze administrative and survey data to assess the effectiveness of a program designed to stabilize and preserve affordable housing for low-income residents.
RESULTS: Five reports on the effect of the program on residents’ choice of housing options, the long-term viability of affordable housing projects, the management of affordable housing assets, the organization of affordable housing agencies, and the affordability of housing for residents.
EXPERTISE: Research Design, Paperwork Reduction Act, Survey Design, Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis.
Public Housing Asset Repositioning Services for Mobile Housing Authority
TASK: Develop and implement a portfolio-wide strategy for repositioning all public housing properties, to include physical, financial, and best use factors.
RESULTS: A comprehensive portfolio level repositioning strategy to include financial projections and proformas for each property, an implementation schedule and developer strategy, as well as a relocation strategy.
EXPERTISE: Financial Analysis, Development and Procurement expertise, Real Estate/Asset evaluation
Ginnie Mae Risk Management Support
TASK: Under different Task Orders, provided financial statement reviews of mortgage-backed security Issuers to monitor net worth, liquidity, and capital requirements; risk management support for Master Subservicer operational, audit and strategic activities; and other improvements to Ginnie Mae’s capabilities for monitoring counterparty risks.
RESULTS: Improvement of Ginnie Mae’s ability to identify, assess and mitigate risks in their MBS portfolio and overall operations.
EXPERTISE: Federal mortgage and housing programs, mortgage securitization and mortgage-back securities, and risk identification, assessment and mitigation.
Reports and Brochures
Housing and Finance Group
The Housing and Finance Group encompasses multiple experts in a broad array of federal agency housing programs and financing tools. Econometrica, Inc. maintains a strong base of in-house expertise that can be augmented by contracted subject matter experts.
Learn More
Explore Our Additional Expertise
Dennis Stout, M.B.A., M.A.
Director of Housing
Russ Davis, M.A.
Director of Finance