About Us

The firm is led by it’s founder, Reese Fayde, who brings to each assignment more than 30 years of experience in urban planning, affordable housing and organizational development work. Having worked across the country, in public and private sector situations, Reese is able to draw from a large deep and diverse pool of colleagues to make the right match for any selected engagement. She is able to provide access to bold and creative thinkers when “re-imagining” is called for. Then she can bring in hands-on professionals able to test and modify big ideas and initiatives into workable strategies that the client can own and implement.

Recent Projects have utilized the skills of a former City Manager of major US city, a retail expert who had transformed a landmarked rail terminal, a small business coach for new ventures, the head of a community development corporation, an affordable mixed use housing developer, a major public arts designer, a grant maker for national arts initiative, a meeting facilitator who guided the public approval process for post-hurricane redevelopment plans, a regional planning council, an award-winning urban design firm, a nationally recognized economic development strategist, and seasoned grant writers. All bring their full talents and commitment to quality service to each and every assignment that they do with RFA.

About Reese Fayde

With more than 30 years of real estate industry experience, she brings a wealth of technical knowledge, creativity and a network of resources to every project. As founding CEO of Living Cities, a fund that invested over $500 million in 23 cities across the country, she was responsible for strategic investments in distressed urban neighborhoods that leveraged over $15 billion in housing and commercial development in those cities.

Ms. Fayde has a long history of service in the public and non-profit sectors working for more than 30 years with administrators, residents, and community-based organizations to rebuild, revitalize and manage affordable housing complexes in older urban neighborhoods. Operating a successful consulting business for 25 years, Ms. Fayde’s clients have included the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), local public housing authorities, state housing finance agencies, community development corporations (CDC’s), and resident associations.

Civic leadership is an important responsibility for Ms. Fayde. She has served as a director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and Rebuilding Together. She continues as a member of several national boards of directors including, Preservation of Affordable Housing, the Affordable Housing Institute and BlueHub Capital.