Corporate Overview

Over the next 25 years, the cities of the world will need to accommodate 2.5 billion more people. In the U.S., public housing is aging and decaying while city centers need revitalization. In the developing countries, every year 40 million poor people crowd themselves into squalid neighborhoods that lack even basic water, sanitation and housing. By 2015, there will be 71 cities with populations over 10 million people. National economies are becoming increasingly global. Innovations in financing and management are becoming ever more critical for the planning, development and management of urban areas.

The Communities Group, an alliance of three affiliated companies, has worked continuously since 1984 to promote, develop and arrange financing for affordable housing, urban development, and community revitalization. TCG International (TCGI), one of the companies affiliated with The Communities Group, provides advisory services to clients in the U.S. and overseas for urban planning, project development, financial structuring, institutional development, and policy reform. TCGI emphasizes stakeholder involvement in planning, resident and community participation in project implementation, market based affordable financing, public-private partnerships, and local presence combined with international expertise in multidisciplinary advisory teams.

ADVISORY SERVICES

Urban Planning and Project Development
TCGI pays particular attention to sound planning and consensus building. We not only promote creative design and sound planning principals, but also consider how projects will be implemented. Planning for implementation means that detailed steps towards implementation are developed early and stakeholder buy-in is secured. TCGI is a leading practitioner in:

  • Master planning
  • Community revitalization
  • Infrastructure development
  • Local economic development (LED)

Financial Structuring
Because housing and infrastructure needs far exceed what can be financed by national governments and international development agencies, large projects need to attract capital market investors. TCGI has successfully structured financing for housing authorities, city governments, and multi-city projects. TCGI provides advisor services on financial structuring and credit enhancement so that projects are financially viable and able to mobilize market based investment. This includes:

  • Financial analysis and evaluation
  • Technical assistance to improve financial viability
  • Design of financing packages and credit enhancement mechanisms
  • Implementation of mixed-financing strategies

Institutional Development
Project viability and investor confidence is contingent on sufficient management and leadership capacity. TCGI helps build the institutional capacity of local governments and housing authorities so that they can achieve improved service quality while enhancing their creditworthiness. TCGI expertise includes:

  • Local revenue mobilization
  • Creditworthiness enhancement
  • Human capital development

Policy Reform
Structural constraints can hinder urban development projects if the national and local policy environment is inadequate. TCGI advises clients on policy reform processes, development of regulatory frameworks, and policy advocacy to encourage positive enabling environments. TCGI experience includes work on:

  • Good governance and reform
  • Municipal management
  • Democracy strengthening