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Affordable Housing Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting an affordable housing business? If YES, here is a detailed sample affordable housing business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.

If you are an investor or an aspiring entrepreneur with a real estate background and you are looking towards starting a business in the United States, know that there is hardly any real estate business that you will pitch your tent in that you won’t reap good returns from your investment.

If you decide to start an affordable housing business, you are sure of making huge returns from your investment because there are loads of families, individuals and businesses looking for affordable housing to buy, lease or rent. If you want to partake in this thriving industry, then you need to obtain all the necessary licenses and permits and then you can legally launch your affordable housing company.

The truth is that the market is still pretty much open for new investors to come in. Although there are competitions at various levels in the industry, but if you are able to come up with a good business strategy, then you are sure of getting a fair share of the market.

Below is a sample affordable housing company business plan template that will help you write yours with little or no stress.

A Sample Affordable Housing Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

Affordable houses are houses that are considered affordable to those with a median household income or below as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. The Median Multiple indicator, recommended by the World Bank and the United Nations, rates affordability of housing by dividing the median house price by gross [before tax] annual median household income.

Income is the primary factor – not price and availability, that determines housing affordability. In a market economy, the distribution of income is the key determinant of the quantity and quality of housing obtained. Housing affordability can be measured by the changing relationships between house prices and rents, and between house prices and income.

As of 2016, nearly 44 million Americans were burdened by the cost of housing, a figure which has been on the rise since 2003. A 2018 survey found that more than a third of those renting a home did not own a home because they couldn’t afford one.

American Millennials spend nearly half of their income on rent on average. When Baby Boomers were between the ages of 22 and 30 years, they only spent about 36 percent of their income on rent. One of the ways to fix this crisis is to provide more affordable housing.

If you are a close watcher of the real estate industry, you will agree that the demand for affordable housing will get a boost from economic recovery over the next five years. Despite the fact the weak housing market has hit industry businesses hard, the reinforcement of housing and rising number of existing home sales will contribute to growth.

Mortgage lending rates will continue to remain tight and hamper revenue; however, the industry is poised for a recovery. Experts projected that the real estate industry recovery will be driven by improvements in employment and per capita disposable income.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (united states of America) projects 11.1 percent job growth for real estate industry between 2012 and 2022, which is about as fast as average. During that time, an additional 38,000 jobs will open up in the industry, hence any affordable housing construction company that is well equipped and positioned will sure rake in huge revenue from this industry within this period.

Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own affordable housing company is that the business is highly profitable and an aspiring entrepreneur can successfully launch the business if they have a pool of cash. Lastly, if you are going into the construction of affordable housing, it is very important to be able to use your ideas to meet the rapidly changing needs of the society when it comes to housing.

2. Executive Summary

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. is a real estate development company that will major in the construction of affordable housing for the average income earning family in and around New Orleans – South Carolina. This is where our head office will be located.

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. is going to be a self-administered and a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). We will engage in the construction of appealing designs of affordable housing that will meet the needs of a wide range of clients. We will work towards becoming one of the largest affordable housing construction companies in the united states of America with active presence in major cities.

As part of our plans to become one of the leading affordable housing construction companies in the United States of America, we will adopt international best practices in the industry. Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. have overtime perfected plans that will help us to become a specialist in our area of business.

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. will be owned majorly by Jasper Krieger. Jasper Krieger has a Degree in Civil Engineering. He is a property guru that has worked with top Real Estate Companies in the United States of America for many years prior to starting his own business. Other investors with same investment ideology whose names cannot be mentioned here for obvious reasons are going to be part of the business.

3. Our Products and Services

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. is going to offer varieties of services within the affordable housing industry in the United States. Our intention of starting our company is to favorably compete with leading players in the affordable housing cum real estate industry in the United States of America.

We are well prepared to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the United States to achieve our business goals, aim and ambition. Our business offerings are listed below;

  • Construction of affordable housing for a wide range of clients
  • Renting, selling and leasing affordable housing
  • Real estate consultancy and advisory services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

  • Our vision is to make the average median earning family own their own house in New Orleans – South Carolina.
  • Our mission of starting an affordable housing construction business is to grow the business beyond the city where we are going to be operating from to become a national and international brand by building affordable housing all across key cities in the United States and franchising.

Our Business Structure

Our company’s structure is not entirely different from what is obtainable in the real estate industry. As a matter of priority, we have decided to create a structure that will allow for easy growth for all our employees and also, we have created platforms that will enable us attract some of the best hands in the industry.

We are quite aware that the success of any business lies in the foundation on which the business is built on, which is why we have decided to build our affordable housing construction company on the right business foundation. We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all our stakeholders.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more depending how fast we meet our set target.

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. is fully aware of the modus operandi in the real estate industry, hence adequate provision and competitive packages have been prepared for independent real estate brokers. Our marketing department will be responsible for managing this aspect of our business structure. Below is the business structure we will build Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. on;

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Company’s Lawyer / Secretary
  • Project Manager
  • Civil Engineer
  • Architect
  • Land Surveyor
  • Admin and HR Manager
  • Business Developer / Sales and Marketing
  • Accountant
  • Customer Service Executive / Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO (President):

  • Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
  • Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
  • Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
  • Responsible for providing direction for the business
  • Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
  • Evaluates the success of the organization
  • Reports to the board

Company’s Lawyer/Secretary/Legal Counsel

  • Responsible for drawing up contracts and other legal documents for the company
  • Consult and handle all corporate legal processes (e.g. intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, financial / securities offerings, compliance issues, transactions, agreements, lawsuits and patents et al)
  • Develop company policy and position on legal issues
  • Research, anticipate and guard company against legal risks
  • Represent company in legal proceedings (administrative boards, court trials et al)
  • Play a part in business deals negotiation and take minutes of meetings
  • Responsible for analyzing legal documents on behalf of the company
  • Prepares annual reports for the company

Project Manager

  • Responsible for the planning, management and coordinating all projects on behalf of the company
  • Supervise projects
  • Ensure compliance during project execution
  • Providing advice on the management of projects
  • Responsible for carrying out risk assessment
  • Responsible for overseeing the accounting, costing and billing of every project
  • Represent the organization’s interest at various stakeholders meetings
  • Ensures that project desired result is achieved, the most efficient resources are utilized and different interests involved are satisfied.

Civil Engineer

  • Responsible for preparing bids for tenders, and reporting to clients, public agencies and planning bodies
  • Ensures that sites meet legal guidelines, and health and safety requirements
  • Assessing the environment impact and risks connected to projects
  • Responsible for judging whether projects are workable by assessing materials, costs and time requirements
  • Drawing up blueprints, using Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages
  • Discussing requirements with the client and other professionals (e.g. architects and project managers et al)
  • Responsible for managing, directing and monitoring progress during each phase of a project

Architect

  • Responsible for creating building designs
  • Working around constraining factors such as town planning legislation, environmental impact and project budget
  • Writing and presenting reports, proposals, applications and contracts
  • Adapting plans according to circumstances and resolving any problems that may arise during construction
  • Work with project team and management to achieve a common goal
  • Responsible for applying for planning permission and advice from governmental new building and legal department.

Land Surveyor

  • Responsible for undertaking land surveys / measurements using a variety of specialist technical equipment
  • Responsible for presenting data to clients
  • Responsible for producing and advising about construction plans and drawings
  • Responsible for advising about technical matters and whether the construction plans are viable

Admin and HR Manager

  • Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
  • Design job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
  • Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
  • Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
  • Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
  • Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
  • Carrying out induction for new team members
  • Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
  • Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
  • Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Affordable housing Officer

  • In charge of inspecting and reporting on the structural attributes of a building
  • Responsible for handling, reporting on and evaluating the component systems of a building
  • Assessing compliance with building, electrical, plumbing and fire codes
  • Evaluating building plans and permits
  • Studying and assessing the soil composition and attributes of where the building is located
  • Reviewing and approving plans that meet building codes, local ordinances and zoning regulations
  • Issuing violation notices and stop-work orders until building in violation is compliant
  • Keeping daily logs, including photographs taken during inspection
  • Handle real estate consultancy and advisory services

Marketing and Sales Executive/Business Developer

  • Identify, prioritize, and reach out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
  • Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
  • Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s need s, and communicate with clients
  • Finds and qualifies land for development based on company’s land requirements; maintains a land search database; initiates discussions with property owners about the possible sale of property
  • Document all customer contact and information
  • Represent the company in strategic meetings
  • Help increase sales and growth for the company

Accountant

  • Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
  • Provides managers with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
  • Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
  • Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
  • Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
  • Responsible for administering payrolls
  • Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
  • Handles all financial transactions for the company
  • Serves as internal auditor for the company

Front Desk/Customer’s Service Officer

  • Receives Visitors/clients on behalf of the organization
  • Receives parcels/documents for the company
  • Handles enquiries via e-mail and phone calls for the organization
  • Distribute mails in the organization
  • Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
  • Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
  • Manages administrative duties assigned by the line manager in an effective and timely manner
  • Consistently stays abreast with any new information on the company’s properties that are put up for sale, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries

6. SWOT Analysis

The fact that affordable housing construction business is a very rewarding business does not mean that there are no challenges in the industry. Starting a affordable housing construction business in the United States of America comes with its own fair share of challenges, you would have to abide by the law and also compete with loads of other investors in the real estate business value chain who also are interested in making a living and building a business in the US.

In order to compete favorably in the real estate industry as an affordable housing construction company we have been able to hire the services of tested and trusted HR consultants to help us conduct critical SWOT analysis for us. We intend maximizing our strengths, explore all opportunities we will come across, properly manage our weakness and confront our threats.

Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc.;

  • Strength:

Some of the strengths that we will be bringing to the table in the real estate industry is our robust relations with property investment moguls in the United States. Our access to pool of median earning families who are willing to own their own affordable housing and also, we have a team of experts who have cut their teeth in the real estate industry cum affordable housing business.

Our commission structure and relationship with freelance real estate agents in New Orleans – South Carolina and other state in the US will also count towards our advantage.

  • Weakness:

As a newbie in the affordable housing business, we might have some challenges competing with big time realtors and other affordable housing construction companies that have been in the industry for many years; that perhaps is part of our weakness.

  • Opportunities:

The opportunities in the real estate industry especially as an affordable housing construction company is massive considering the number of families who would want to own their own affordable housing. We are well – positioned and ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.

  • Threat:

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as an affordable housing construction company are unfavorable government policies, and global economic downturn; global economic downturn usually affects spending power and the real estate industry is known to encounter decline in sales and profits during this period.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

  • Market Trends

Housing choice is a response to an extremely complex set of economic, social, and psychological impulses. For example, some households may choose to spend more on housing because they feel they can afford to, while others may not have a choice but to stick to affordable housing via mortgaging. Market forces, policy decisions, and demographic changes have converged, making it more difficult to increase affordable housing for renters.

Another obvious trend that is common with affordable housing construction companies in the United States of America is that most of them are improvising on more means of making money in the real estate industry. As matter of fact, they are also acting as property developers and home staging agents amongst other functions.

One thing is certain for every affordable housing construction company; if they are hardworking, creative and proactive, they will always generate enough income to meet all their overhead and operational cost, keep their business going without struggle and make reasonable profits from all business deals that they are involved in.

8. Our Target Market

As an affordable housing construction company, our target market cuts across median income earners. We are coming into the real estate industry with a business concept that will enable us work with a wide range of clients at an affordable price.

We have put plans in place to recruit freelance agents (brokers) nationally to represent our business interest wherever they are located in the United States of America. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have designed our services for;

  • Families who are interested in acquiring/renting a decent and affordable apartment

Our competitive advantage

The availability of competent and reliable real estate professionals under our payroll, our business process and of course our pricing model are part of our competitive advantage.

Another possible competitive strategy for winning our competitors in this particular industry is to build a robust clientele base and ensure that our affordable homes designs are top notch and trendy. Our organization is well positioned, key members of our team are highly reliable and competent and can favorably compete with the some of the best in the real estate industry.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry. It will enable to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and objectives. We will also engage freelance real estate brokers/agents on a commission level to help us market our services.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

We quite mindful of the fact that there are stiff competitions in the affordable housing market in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developers to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization. The training is not restricted to only our full – time employees but will also involve our freelance brokers that are scattered all over the United States of America.

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies;

  • Introduce our affordable housing construction company by sending introductory letters alongside your brochure to households, corporate organizations, small scale businesses, medium scale businesses and other key stake holders throughout the city where our affordable housing construction company is located.
  • Advertise on the internet on blogs and forums, and also on social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn to get our message across
  • Create a basic website for our business so as to give your business an online presence
  • Directly market our services
  • Engage in road show in targeted business communities from time to time to promote our affordable housing construction business
  • Join local affordable housing construction business associations for industry trends and tips
  • Join local chambers of commerce and industry with the aim of marketing our services
  • Advertise our business in community based newspapers, local TV and radio stations
  • List our business on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
  • Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing (referrals)

Sources of Income

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the real estate industry. Although we are an affordable housing construction company, but part of our work force are also licensed real estate agents hence we intend generating additional income from diverse means in the real estate agency.

We have successfully built a vibrant real estate network that covers the whole of the United States of America so as to help us build a profitable business. Below are the sources we intend exploring to generate income for Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc.;

  • Construction of affordable housing for a wide range of clients
  • Renting, selling and leasing affordable housing
  • Real estate consultancy and advisory services

10. Sales Forecast

It is a known fact that as long as there are tenants and median earning families in the United States of America, there will always be need to for affordable housing construction companies.

We are well positioned to take on the challenges that are synonymous to affordable housing construction businesses in the United States, and we are quite optimistic that we will meet out set target of generating enough profits from our first month of operation and grow the business beyond New Orleans – South Carolina to other states in the United States of America within record time.

We have been able to examine the affordable housing business, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below are the sales projections for Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. it is based on the location of our business and the affordable housing that we will be offering;

  • First Fiscal Year: $3 million
  • Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $6 million
  • Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $10 million

N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and any major competitor offering same services as we do within the location where we have a strong business presence. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher since some factors are beyond our control.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to take the affordable housing cum real estate industry by storm which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our company.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote our affordable housing construction business;

  • Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
  • Sponsor relevant TV shows so as to be able to communicate our brand and what we do
  • Maximize our company’s website to promote our business
  • Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and other platforms (real estate online forums) to promote our business and list our properties for sale and for lease.
  • Install our billboards in strategic locations in and around New Orleans – South Carolina
  • Distribute our fliers and handbills in targeted areas from time to time
  • Attend landlord and residence association meetings with the aim of networking and introducing our business.
  • Ensure that all our workers wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are branded with our company’s logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Part of our business strategy is to ensure that we work within the budget of our potential clients to help them meet their expectations. It is the practice in most parts of the world for properties to be valued by professionals based on the area the facility is located, the type of facility and other factors.

Since we are not directly in control of the pricing system in the real estate industry, we can only abide by what is obtainable when fixing a price for affordable housing.

  • Payment Options

At Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. our payment policy is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will not accept payment by cash because of the volume of cash that will be involved in most of our transactions.

Real estate deals usually involve huge amounts of money. Here are the payment options that Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. will make available to her clients;

  • Payment by via bank transfer
  • Payment via online bank transfer
  • Payment via check
  • Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans without any hitches and we will also pay our freelance sales agents with the same platforms.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

From our market survey and feasibility studies, we have been able to come up with a detailed budget on achieving our aim of establishing a standard and highly competitive affordable housing construction company in Greenville – South Carolina and here are the key areas where we will spend our startup capital;

  • The total fee for incorporating the business in The United States of America – $750.
  • The budget for permits and license – $2,000
  • The cost for hiring business consultant – $2,500.
  • The cost for computer software apps (Accounting Software, Payroll Software, CRM Software, real estate software, and QuickBooks Pro et al) – $7,000
  • The budget for insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $5,400.
  • The cost for acquiring suitable Office facility with enough space in Greenville – South Carolina – $1.5 million.
  • The cost for equipping the office (computers, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al) – $150,000
  • Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility deposits ($2,500).
  • Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $100,000
  • The cost of launching our official Website – $600
  • Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $5,000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need approximately 2.5 million dollars to successfully setup a small scale but standard affordable housing construction company in the United States of America.

Please note that the salaries of all our staff members for the first month is included in the expenditure and the pool cash needed for the construction of the first set of affordable houses is not part of this financial projection. We will contact our partners to pool cash together when the time comes.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc.

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. will be owned and managed by Jasper Krieger and other business partners. They decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the business to just three major sources. These are the areas we intend generating our startup capital;

  • Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
  • Generate part of the startup capital from friends and other extended family members
  • Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $1 million (Personal savings $800,000 and soft loan from family members $200,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $1.5 million from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.

One of our major goals of starting Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to rent/lease/sell our affordable housing services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Jasper Krieger© Affordable Housing, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

  • Business Name Availability Check: Completed
  • Business Incorporation: Completed
  • Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
  • Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
  • Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
  • Application for business license and permit: Completed
  • Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
  • Acquiring of Office Facility and remodeling the facility in Greenville – South Carolina: Completed
  • Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
  • Generating capital from the CEO/President and Business Partners: Completed
  • Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
  • writing of business plan: Completed
  • Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
  • Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
  • Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
  • Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
  • Recruitment of employees: In Progress
  • Purchase of the needed furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
  • Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
  • Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
  • Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
  • Establishing business relationship with key players in the industry: In Progress