ABOUT US
Created in 2023, Everlong Consulting consists of partners in life and business, Tara Beard and Jeff Washburne. With over 50 years of combined affordable housing experience, Tara and Jeff bring energy and passion to projects that work toward creating a world where there are permanently affordable housing options for absolutely everyone.
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As partners, they balance each other in temperament and experience. Jeff is a problem solver and a results-getter. He has deep roots in the most proven shared-equity model of affordable homeownership: the Community Land Trust. Under Jeff’s leadership, Minneapolis’ City of Lakes Community Land Trust grew from 1 employee (him!) to the 3rd largest Community Land Trust in the country with close to 400 homes in trust. In addition to his nonprofit leadership, Jeff also has experience in legislative advocacy and is a registered lobbyist in the state of Minnesota.
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Tara is a relationship builder with a heart for community. She has worked in various community development and affordable housing positions at local and regional governments across the Twin Cities, including the City of Minneapolis and the Metropolitan Council, where she co-authored the first regional housing policy plan adopted for the metro in over 30 years. Most recently Tara was privileged to serve as the Housing Director for the city of Saint Paul, overseeing allocations of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and other federal and local funds for the development and preservation of affordable housing in Minnesota’s capitol city.
Together, Tara and Jeff understand how the public, non-profit, and private sectors can and must work together to meet affordable housing needs. They understand that real solutions put theory to practice, and that a growth mindset is required to successfully address our nation’s housing crisis. They share a solemn intention to continuously educate themselves about the roles of racism, white supremacy, and other toxic legacies in our country, especially with regard to access to affordable housing and the wealth-building opportunities of home ownership. If you have a project that wants to further equitable access to long-term affordable housing, we would love to work with you!