Affordable Housing Policy: The 2023 Playbook

After working in Washington, DC for almost 10 years in a variety of capacities for Representative Richard Gephardt (D-MO), Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D- ME) and the Democratic Party, David Gasson joined Boston Capital in 1995 as Vice President and Director. Joining with industry pioneers Herb Collins and Jack Manning, and utilizing his years of experience on Capitol Hill, David quickly became a leading voice on policy and advocacy with decision makers in the Nation's Capital.   David's responsibilities included representing Boston Capital's housing and tax agenda before the administration and Congress in Washington, DC, regularly meeting with administration officials, legislative leaders and senior legislative staff. He also briefed investor and developer partners on the legislative and political landscape.   Since 1995, David has served as the Executive Director of the Housing Advisory Group. A 501 c 6 organization founded in 1993, the Housing Advisory Group educates state and federal officials on housing programs and formulates policies leading to the expansion of affordable housing production. The Housing Advisory Group's membership consists of developers and professionals from across the country involved in the affordable housing industry. David is an original member of the Affordable Housing ACTION Campaign, where he sits on the steering committee. He also serves on the policy/legislative subcommittee and the tax reform working group. David is a member of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC) and the National Leased Housing Association (NLHA). He also serves as an advisor to the Council of Independent State Housing Associations (CISHA) on policy and national advocacy. On behalf of his many affiliations, David regularly consults with Members of Congress and congressional staff on policies affecting affordable housing. He is a sought-after speaker at national conferences, industry gatherings, state association meetings and with investor groups across the country.  On the home front in Boston, David serves on the Board of Directors of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, the Community Advisory Board of WBUR, Boston's NPR news station and as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Business Leadership.

Bob Moss led CohnReznick' s federal and state government relations efforts as their lobbyist focusing on the affordable housing industry from 2013 to 2021. In this capacity, he helped protect client interests in the affordable housing industry through the legislative process. Before joining CohnReznick, Bob was the Senior Vice President and Director of Origination, Affordable Housing, from 1993-2013 of Boston Capital. Bob has 30 years of affordable, multifamily housing experience ranging from LIHTC syndication to preservation and development. He served as the Chairman of the National Leased Housing Association, a unique organization serving both public and private organizations in the affordable multifamily rental housing field. He is also active with the Council of Independent State Housing Associations (CISHA), the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, and the ACTION Legislative Steering committee. His extensive industry and government experience includes serving as the Chairman of the non-partisan Housing Advisory Group, which is active in preserving the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program in Congress. He has also served as the Federal Legislative Subcommittee Chair for the Housing Credit Group of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  Bob has testified before the full House Ways and Means Committee on tax credit reform and residential real estate hearings, as well as Senate and House Subcommittees on affordable housing issues. In 2015, he was inducted into the National Affordable Housing Hall of Fame by Affordable Housing Finance magazine. He was also honored with the Daniel M. Grady Memorial Award by NAHB for his commitment to advocacy.

David M. Brickman is the Chief Executive Officer of NewPoint Real Estate Capital and Executive Chairman of Meridian Capital Group, a leading commercial real estate services firm. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to Stone Point Capital, a leading private equity firm in the real estate and financial services arenas. At the end of January 2021 David stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Freddie Mac, one of the largest providers of mortgage financing in the U.S. Prior to that, he served as President and as a member of the Board of Directors. During his tenure he led the $2 trillion company through a period of significant growth, change, and disruption as the firm successfully navigated the challenges of the COVID crisis. Brickman spent most of his career at Freddie Mac leading and transforming the multifamily business, presiding over a remarkable period of growth. Production rose from $16 billion in 2010 to almost $80 billion in 2018. He also established the company’s flagship K-Deal securitization program as one of the leading securitized products in the structured finance market. He drove significant innovation by expanding Freddie Mac’s products and offerings – particularly those serving the growing need for affordable and workforce housing. Brickman’s educational accomplishments include doctoral coursework for a Ph.D. in economics and real estate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He’s been a professorial lecturer at George Washington University, an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and is a non-resident Fellow at the Urban Institute. He also holds a US patent for a unique mortgage-backed security structure.