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Endorsements from the Field

Our members, allies, and clients speak to our impact. See what they have to say.

“Our city had implemented a local affordable housing program with our local funds. However, we needed help to create a more formal and thought-out program that would be sensitive to our city’s economics, but also balance affordable housing goals. The Grounded Solutions team brought in-depth knowledge of every aspect of these types of programs, including tangible examples from programs across the country. I particularly appreciated their focus from the very beginning on not only the high-level policy decisions but also the nuts and bolts of day-to-day implementation of the program. I was impressed that they shared the same level of excitement for crafting the program manual as our staff did. Their thoughtful approach to engaging diverse stakeholders helped create understanding and buy-in, which laid the path for smooth adoption and roll out of the program. Grounded Solutions has helped us create an impactful affordable housing for our community that I can guarantee would not have been done as quickly or holistically without them.”

Jeff Hasser
Administrator | Real Estate and Economic Development
Department of Metropolitan Development
City of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN

“Grounded Solutions played a key role in providing Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing Task Force, as well as the Inclusionary Housing and Incentive Zoning Exploratory Committee, with a clear path to recommendations incorporating national best practices and Pittsburgh’s specific challenges to arrive at policy and programs to improve housing opportunity. The team’s technical knowledge of the field and experience working with governments across the country, as well as their insights in modeling affordability, were matched by their skills in coordinating deliberation among diverse stakeholders, yielding forward-looking meetings, reports, and recommendations.”

Ray Gastil
City Planning Director, City of Pittsburgh
Co-Chair, Affordable Housing Task Force
Pittsburgh, PA

“We have worked with Grounded Solutions Network twice now on housing policy projects. I really value their ability to not only undertake complex housing policy and economic analysis but also explain it clearly and succinctly to diverse stakeholders. Their products, like the Inclusionary Housing Policy Recommendations and Economic Feasibility Analysis they prepared for us, are of the highest quality. And their staff and consultants truly understand the many different factors and nuances that city leaders must balance. Grounded Solutions’ assistance was absolutely essential in our work to craft an effective and impactful inclusionary housing policy.”

Andrea Brennan
Director, Housing Policy and Development
City of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN

“In their most recent phase of work with us, Grounded Solutions developed a Preservation Action Plan to take preservation-related goals in our Multifamily Affordable Housing Strategy and translate them into detailed, implementable strategies. They balanced incorporating best practices from around the country with addressing the specific local dynamics and needs of our city. I was impressed with the team’s dedication to thoroughness; for example, they interviewed dozens of stakeholders in order to fully understand the local context and what strategies and solutions would be the best fit for Detroit.

“I came to think of Grounded Solutions as a partner in this work. They care about the work and that shows in their work product and process. Grounded Solutions can be counted on to communicate clearly, provide deliverables on schedule, plan and manage meetings with multiple stakeholders, and deftly incorporating feedback on documents. We would hire Grounded Solutions Network again in a heartbeat.”

Julie Schneider
Associate Director for Policy Development and Implementation
Housing & Revitalization Department
City of Detroit
Detroit, MI

“Lawrenceville Corporation was fortunate to participate in Grounded Solutions Network’s Start-up CLT Capacity Building Initiative in 2017. Our technical assistance providers arrived in Pittsburgh on the day we closed on construction financing for phase one of our CLT. Without missing a beat, we dived into refining our strategic priorities and creating a 5-year business plan for our neighborhood, while also engaging stakeholders throughout the region to explore expanding our CLT. During our second site visit, we led a board retreat to endorse the strategy to create a regional organization out of our CLT program and set the stage for an expansion planning process. Along the way we had amazing training opportunities as well as the chance to learn from the members of our capacity building cohort. We highly recommend the Start-up CLT Capacity Building Initiative for any group exploring the CLT model for their community.”

Valerie Fleisher
Director of Operations
Lawrenceville Corporation
Pittsburgh, PA
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