So Who Does READS Work With?  While we partner with a variety of nonprofits, our work has concentrated in the following segments of the nonprofit world:

• Developing Charter School Facilities: READS has developed or is developing ten charter school projects with total development costs near $90M.  Projects run the gamut from direct development (READS develops, owns and leases to a school) and turnkey (READS develops and sells to the school) to technical assistance.  However, in all cases READS works to take the burden of the real estate development work out of the hands of charter schools so they can focus on education.  

• Managing Supportive Housing Projects:  With extensive experience in the development of supportive housing, READS provides direct project management such as the development of 11 units of affordable housing in Highland Park, NJ.  Under a contract with the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), a national leader in the development of supportive housing, READS assisted three special needs housing organizations with real estate services on the development of over 100 units of supportive housing as well as the development of comprehensive business plans.

• Preserving Affordable Housing with Low-Income Manufactured Housing Co-ops: In 2009, READS worked with the residents of Minquadale Village in New Castle, DE to form a housing co-op, purchase their land-lease community and preserve up to 82 units of affordable housing stock as a resident-owned community.  READS is in the process of working with four other communities in Delaware and New Jersey to become resident-owned communities that could preserve an additional 225 units of affordable housing.  As a member of ROC USA, a national initiative seeking to create resident co-ops in manufactured home communities across the country, READS helps residents to form nonprofit co-ops, access financing and oversee the governance and operations of their community.

• Assisting Nonprofits on the Purchase of a Facility: READS has worked and is currently working with a number of nonprofits to explore their facility plans over the next few years including long-term leases, leases with an option to purchase and the acquisition or development of a new facility.  As an initial step, READS works with groups to conduct a real estate feasibility study.  To date, we have completed feasibility studies for nearly two dozen nonprofits

• Making Facilities More Energy Efficient and Accessing Renewables:  In addition to bringing expertise on energy efficiency and renewable energy to all of our projects, READS also works with a variety of nonprofits on their energy efficiency and renewable energy options.  READS helps groups to obtain energy audits, take advantage of public incentive programs for more efficient equipment and review renewable energy options such as the benefits of power purchase agreements relative to the direct purchase and installation of renewable energy sources.