Wisconsin-Based Development & Operating Platform

Develop. Operate.
Advise.

Northernstar Companies is a vertically integrated development and operating platform delivering institutional-quality affordable and mixed-income housing across Wisconsin.

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$150M+
Project Experience
2018
Founded
162+
Units Developed & Pipeline
Our Platform

Three Disciplines. One Platform.

Development, operations, and advisory — integrated under one platform to control execution from capital raise through stabilization.

Development

New construction and adaptive reuse projects structured with layered public and private capital. Every deal is underwritten for long-term performance, not just a closing table.

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Property Management

In-house leasing, hands-on maintenance, and active asset management across our NOAH and workforce portfolio. We own and operate what we manage — aligning our interests with our residents and investors.

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Advisory & Consulting

Capital structuring, owner’s representative services, and development advisory for municipalities, nonprofits, and co-development partners.

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Our Firm

Affordable Housing,
Institutional Standards

Northernstar Companies develops, operates, and advises on affordable, workforce, and mixed-income housing across Wisconsin. We work alongside institutional investors, tax credit syndicators, and municipal partners to build quality housing where demand is strongest and capital is hardest to place.

Founded in 2018 and based in Greater Milwaukee, we combine development execution, hands-on property management, and deep regulatory fluency into a single platform. From capital stack assembly through lease-up and long-term operations, we control the process end to end — investing not just in buildings, but in the services and amenities that make them communities.

Our focus is simple: own and operate well-located, income-restricted and naturally affordable housing where demand is resilient, supply is constrained, and institutional capital is scarce. Families in the 40–80% AMI band represent the deepest, most durable segment of U.S. rental demand, and we treat it as a core allocation for long-term capital rather than a niche to be managed on the margins.

Investment Focus

Rental Sectors We Serve

Focused on the rental segments where demand is deepest and institutional capital is thinnest.

Affordable Housing

LIHTC, project-based Section 8, and rent-restricted developments for residents at 40–80% AMI — built with layered public and private capital for long-term affordability.

40%–80% AMI • LIHTC

N.O.A.H.

Older Class B/C properties acquired and strategically upgraded — preserving affordability while improving livability without displacing existing residents.

Value-Add Strategy

Workforce & Mixed-Income

Class B and C communities serving the 80–120% AMI renter — essential workers priced out of market-rate but ineligible for most subsidized programs.

80%–120% AMI
Leadership

Our Team

Experienced operators with a track record in structuring, developing, and managing affordable housing at scale.

Brandon Methu

Brandon Methu

Founder & Principal

Leads development and capital structuring across Northernstar's portfolio, specializing in LIHTC, NMTC, and Opportunity Zone transactions. Previously managed due diligence on $150M+ in affordable housing investments as a project coordinator and FHLB analyst. ACRE graduate.

LIHTCNMTCOZFHLBUW-Milwaukee
James Methu

James Methu

Partner — Community Engagement & New Markets

Background in construction management and economic inclusion with Gilbane Building Company and the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Equity and Inclusion. Experience on major Wisconsin projects including Northwestern Mutual and The Baird Center. Entrepreneur, children’s book author, and lifelong Milwaukee resident. BBA, Series 6, 7, 24, and 63 licensed. ACRE graduate (MSOE & Marquette).

Construction MgmtEconomic InclusionCommunity EngagementPublic Relations
Asset & Property Management

Vertically Integrated Operations

Institutional-grade asset management and property operations executed in-house across our NOAH and workforce housing portfolio.

Asset Strategy

Portfolio-level budgeting, capital planning, and performance optimization. Every property is underwritten to a hold thesis and managed to outperform it.

Property Operations

Leasing, maintenance, and resident services managed under one platform. Occupancy, retention, and NOI are tracked in real time and reported monthly.

Capital Improvement

Strategic value-add programs scoped to each asset’s position in the hold cycle. Renovations are underwritten for ROI and executed with direct oversight.

Consulting

Advisory & Consulting

Development expertise on demand — for partners who need execution without building a full team.

Capital Stack Structuring

Tax credit equity, public subsidy, and conventional debt assembled into executable capital structures — designed to close, perform, and hold up under scrutiny.

WHEDA & Tax Credit Advisory

Competitive application strategy, underwriting guidance, and allocation positioning for developers and nonprofits pursuing Wisconsin tax credit awards.

Owner’s Representative

Project oversight from pre-development through stabilization — for capital partners and co-developers who need disciplined local execution in Wisconsin.

Municipal & Nonprofit Advisory

RFP development, feasibility analysis, and developer selection support for municipalities and mission-driven organizations ready to move on housing.

Our Purpose

Mission & Vision

Mission

Housing as Infrastructure

We exist to deliver housing that works — for residents, for neighborhoods, and for the capital partners who fund it. Every project we build is designed to raise the standard of affordable living while generating durable, long-term returns grounded in real demand and disciplined operations.

Vision

Institutional Capital, Community Returns

We deploy layered capital — tax credits, public subsidy, and private equity — to develop housing in markets where institutional investment is scarce but demand is deep. Our model turns underserved neighborhoods into stabilized communities, delivering measurable social impact alongside risk-adjusted financial performance.

Portfolio

Our Projects

The Collective on Fourth - La Crosse, WI
Completed

The Collective on Fourth

La Crosse, Wisconsin

62-unit, four-story mixed-income development co-developed with Cinnaire Solutions. Reactivated a half-block of blighted properties into quality affordable housing with on-site supportive services. Governor Evers toured the project and called for hundreds more like it statewide.

62 Units
$16.67M Total Dev. Cost
LIHTC 9% Credits
The Collective on Fourth exterior rendering The Collective on Fourth ribbon cutting ceremony The Collective on Fourth groundbreaking
Austin Commons - Bay View, Milwaukee, WI
Pre-Development

Austin Commons

Bay View, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

100-unit affordable family housing development at 2324 S. Austin Street in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood. Awarded 9% LIHTC credits through WHEDA's 2025 competitive cycle. Five-story new construction with ground-level community space, fitness center, structured parking, and a streetfront patio connecting residents to one of Milwaukee's most vibrant corridors.

100 Units
Family Housing
LIHTC Awarded
Austin Commons exterior rendering from S. Austin Street and Lincoln Ave Austin Commons streetscape rendering from S. Austin Street looking northeast Austin Commons ground-level patio and entrance view
Community Impact

Resident Impact

Numbers describe what we build. Stories show why it matters.

“You changed the course of my life.”

After 35 years of addiction and a period of homelessness, Prentiss was placed in a Northernstar property in June 2022. During his first year, he was still struggling — but was treated with dignity and respect. After surviving a fentanyl overdose in 2023, he chose to detox in his apartment and get clean. He went on to earn his HSED, complete college courses, and obtain his driver’s license.

Today, Prentiss works as a state-certified Peer Support Specialist and substance abuse counselor in training, mentoring others through the same struggles he overcame. He credits stable housing as the foundation that made his recovery possible.

P
Prentiss
Resident, Northernstar Companies property • In long-term recovery
35+ Years in Addiction
June 2022 Housed
Today Peer Support Specialist
News & Insights

In the Press

BizTimes Milwaukee
November 2025

Northernstar & Richman Group Re-Engaged for Marcus Center Site

The City of Milwaukee is in discussions with Northernstar and The Richman Group about their $231M mixed-use proposal for the Marcus Performing Arts Center parking structure site after the previous developer fell through.

WEAU / WIZM
June 2025

Governor Evers Tours The Collective on Fourth

Governor Evers visited the completed Collective on Fourth in La Crosse, calling it a model for affordable housing statewide and urging the development of hundreds more similar projects across Wisconsin.

Urban Milwaukee
May 2025

Austin Commons Wins WHEDA Tax Credits

Northernstar’s Austin Commons proposal — 100 affordable family apartments in Bay View — was awarded competitive LIHTC credits as one of three Milwaukee projects funded by WHEDA in the 2025 cycle.

Borton Construction
May 2025

Collective on Fourth Ribbon Cutting

Northernstar and Cinnaire Solutions celebrated the grand opening of The Collective on Fourth, a 62-unit mixed-income community in La Crosse developed to address the city’s homelessness and affordability goals.

Cinnaire
May 2024

Collective on Fourth Breaks Ground in La Crosse

A $16M groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction on 62 mixed-income residences, developed in partnership with the City of La Crosse to combat housing affordability and homelessness.

Beloit Daily News
February 2025

Beloit Affordable Housing Proposal Moves Forward

Northernstar Companies and Horizon Development’s proposal for affordable housing construction in Beloit advanced despite neighborhood opposition, with City Council support.

Contact

Let’s Talk Housing

Whether you’re a municipality, mission-driven partner, or capital provider, we’d be glad to talk about a project, RFP, or idea.

Get in Touch

Use the form to reach Northernstar Companies directly. We typically respond within one business day.

Direct Email

Prefer email? Reach Brandon directly at brandon@northernstarcompanies.com.