Financing Community & Economic Development
Socially motivated projects such as affordable housing, community facilities, and public infrastructure are intentionally designed to produce rent and fee structures that are below private market rates. As a result, the economic value and resulting capital attracted to these projects is often below its cost to construct. Overcoming the related “gap” drives the field of community and economic development finance. In this course we will first examine why public subsidies are provided for socially impactful projects, what constitutes a financing gap, and how to fill those gaps using tax credits, municipal bonds, and public-private partnerships.