New York Affordable Housing

Real Estate: Affordable Housing Acquisitions, Asset Management, Dispositions and Portfolio Management

Jenny Wu is the Managing Director of Development for Jonathan Rose Companies who has been with the company since 2012. She brings a broad base of design and construction, finance, and development experience, and is responsible for leading the firm’s pivotal green development projects in the East Coast. Prior to joining Jonathan Rose Companies, Ms. Wu was an architect for the New York-based architecture firm Rogers Marvel Architects where she designed and managed the construction of several adaptive reuse projects, including conversion of a piano factory into a non-profit film school and a mattress warehouse into a community soup kitchen. Ms. Wu received a Master of Science in Real Estate Development degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from University of Texas at Austin. She is a Registered Architect in the State of New York, LEED Accredited Professional, and actively serves on the Board of Women in Housing and Finance.

Mr. Baydala has 36 years of experience in commercial real estate industries, is located in New York, NY and is responsible for originations. Mr. Baydala was previously an Executive Vice President with Meridian Capital Group, LLC (“MCG”) where he launched an institutional advisory platform principally focused on buy and sell-side syndication advisory related to large commercial mortgage loans. Prior to joining MCG, Mr. Baydala was a Senior Vice President, Commercial Real Estate Banking, at Anglo Irish Bank where he established and managed Anglo’s North American Syndication Desk focusing on A-note, B-Note and mezzanine positions for domestic and international capital providers. Prior to Anglo Irish, Mr. Baydala was a Senior Vice President / Senior Investment Officer with Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. / Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC where he originated, structured and closed high yield mezzanine, preferred equity and senior debt transactions with nationally-based developers and owners. During his tenure at Arbor, Mr. Baydala also served as Chief Underwriter and Credit Committee Chair for Arbor’s Fannie Mae “DUS” and HUD multifamily lending programs. Mr. Baydala earned a B.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from St. Bonaventure University and is a designated member of the Counselors of Real Estate (“CRE”).

Rob Wrzosek is President - Affordable Strategies at NewPoint Real Estate Capital, responsible for developing proprietary non-agency executions and managing investments in affordable housing bonds. He has over two decades of multifamily and affordable housing finance experience. Prior to joining NewPoint, Wrzosek was Head of Multifamily at Bluefin Capital Management. Previously, he was responsible for the affordable housing and HUD/FHA finance businesses of Berkeley Point (now Newmark). During his career, Wrzosek has served on the board of directors of Walker & Dunlop, was President of Hunt Mortgage Group, and managed the tax-exempt affordable housing securitization and tax equity syndication platforms for Credit Suisse. He has also acted as an outside advisor to the Obama Administration on issues pertaining to the LIHTC program, and was a partner at Eichner & Norris PLLC, a Washington, DC-based law firm. Wrzosek holds both a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Ithaca College, a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

Russell A. Kivler is a partner in the law firm of Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP. He joined the firm in 2004 and became a partner in 2010. Mr. Kivler practices in the area of real estate, representing developers, owners and equity investors in connection with acquisitions and dispositions, financings, joint ventures, development and construction and commercial leasing. He has developed extensive experience in commercial and public finance, federal, state and local housing programs and tax incentives. Mr. Kivler regularly represents clients in large scale affordable housing and mixed use development projects that are financed with municipal bonds and tax credit equity. Mr. Kivler is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey and received his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in economics and business management, with a concentration in finance, in 1999 from Gettysburg College and his law degree magna cum laude in 2002 from American University, Washington College of Law.

YuhTyng (“Tyng”) Patka is chair of the NYC Real Estate Tax and Incentives Practice Group and chair of the firm's NYC Climate Mobilization Act Task Force and PACE Financing Practice. Tyng provides a road map to her clients for the optimal way to minimize their property tax burden. Tyng represents owners in challenging their property taxes (certiorari) and is one of New York City’s top experts on building tax classifications, having successfully argued and litigated on matters relating to building misclassifications which have led to significant tax refunds. For Tyng’s developer clients, she advises on strategies to reduce a project’s tax liability and represents developers on NYC tax incentive programs such as 421-a, ICAP, and IDA benefits such as FRESH. Tyng also counsels not-for-profit organizations on how to qualify for property tax exemptions for space that they own and occupy and advises nonprofits on leasehold condominium formation as one popular strategy for successfully obtaining property tax exemptions. Tyng’s practice also includes representing developers on matters relating to Inclusionary Housing zoning benefits before the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”). She regularly represents developers on inclusionary housing applications (VIH, MIH, PFASH/AIRS) and provides her developer clients advice on preserving their project’s rights to property tax and zoning benefits simultaneously. Tyng also regularly represents developers in their acquisition or disposition of inclusionary air rights.

Elected as the first Latino Brooklyn Borough President, Antonio Reynoso is a native Brooklynite, born and raised along with two sisters in South Williamsburg to Dominican immigrants. Antonio’s early life was one of financial insecurity and reliance on social benefits while he also worked and contributed to his family’s livelihood. However, he found opportunities through education. Education was the key to making it in life, and his parents instilled that belief in a young Reynoso. He attended La Salle Academy on a full-scholarship and received a BA in Political Science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, also on a scholarship. After graduation, he returned to Brooklyn and began working for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an international collection of autonomous community-based organizations that advocated for low- and moderate-income families. In 2009, he joined the staff of City Councilwoman Diana Reyna, working in constituent services and quickly rose to become Chief of Staff. When the term-limited Councilwoman stepped down Antonio Reynoso, for the first time, ran for elective office as a candidate to replace his former mentor as City Council Representative for Council District 34, representing portions of Bushwick, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, and Ridgewood, Queens. As a member of the City Council, Antonio Reynoso demonstrated his commitment to advocating for the residents he represented, and the thousands more throughout the city with similar needs. He focused his energy on quality-of-life issues, including waste-management, policing, tenant safety, transportation, and land-use where he took the lead in advocating for the rezoning of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Experiencing and witnessing injustices in multiple facets of everyday life, he has dedicated his career to advocating for bold, progressive legislation citywide that improves the lives of his family, friends, neighbors, and constituents. As two-time Chair of the Sanitation Committee, he had a resounding impact on a major concern that affected both the environment, and health of New Yorkers, as he led the charge to reduce the tonnage of trash in Northern Brooklyn by 50 percent. As thousands of Black and Latino New Yorkers were arbitrarily being stopped and frisked by members of the NYPD, Reynoso was instrumental in the passage of the Right to Know Act. Witnessing the rise of harassment of building tenants by unscrupulous landlords using construction and repairs as modes of harassment by making residency untenable, Reynoso had a crucial role in passing the Tenant Safety Act to protect tenants’ rights. Now, Reynoso is serving Brooklyn to make the borough the progressive capital of the world by building on his extensive record in the City Council. Reynoso’s twin guiding principles throughout his life, have always been the concepts of justice and equity, and he has vowed to fight each and every day to give all Brooklynites the opportunity to thrive and succeed. Antonio Reynoso lives in Williamsburg with his wife and two sons.

Daniel M. Bernstein joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2017 and is a member and leader of the firm's Tax Incentives & Affordable Housing Department. Mr. Bernstein's practice involves affordable housing and urban development issues in New York, obtaining property tax exemptions and abatements (new and old 421-a, ICAP/ICIP, 420-c, 420-a, J-51, Article XI, etc.), development rights bonuses and incentives / zoning requirements (Voluntary and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, FRESH program, Zoning for Quality and Affordability) for New York City projects. Mr. Bernstein is experienced in the assessment and taxation of real property in New York, as well as acquisition, financing, leasing, Declarations of Condominium, and condominium offering plans. Mr. Bernstein also has extensive experience helping real estate developers obtain economic incentives for their residential, commercial, or mixed-use projects.

Spencer Orkus is a Partner and the President of Development at L+M Development Partners who has been with the company since 2007. He has developed over 5,000 affordable new construction units within various mixed-use new construction projects compiling over $2.5 billion in financing resources. Spencer leads L+M’s efforts to provide housing that is healthy, energy-efficient, and resilient to climate change. He is passionate about the intersection of housing, healthcare and food access, partnering with various healthcare providers, food-oriented social justice enterprises and other non-profits. He has led L+M’s venture into the new era of sustainable construction, having completed our first passive house project with geothermal heating/cooling and NYC’s first net-zero community in the pipeline. Prior to joining L+M, Spencer worked as a licensed structural engineer for DeSimone Consulting Engineers designing high-rise residential buildings and other structures. He has a BA and MA in Architectural Engineering from Penn State University and an MA in Real Estate from New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. He is co-chair of the NYSAFAH policy committee, a board member of New York Passive House and serves on the Hastings on Hudson waterfront zoning committee.

Anita Laremont advises clients on various land use, zoning, and development matters. Anita has worked with numerous large-scale economic development and land-use projects in New York City and throughout the state. Prior to joining Fried Frank, Anita was the Chair of the New York City Planning Commission and Director of the Department of City Planning, having previously served as its general counsel and executive director. She also served for many years as general counsel of Empire State Development Corporation. Anita received her JD from New York University School of Law in 1979 and her BA, magna cum laude, from Mount Holyoke College in 1976. She is admitted to practice in New York.

Eldad Gothelf is Kasirer’s Senior Vice President, Real Estate. In this role, Eldad works with all of the firm’s real estate clients, artfully guiding them through the policy and political challenges of development in New York City. His expertise in planning and development, coupled with his vision for successful developer-community engagement, positions Eldad to dutifully serve both the firm’s clients and the City. Prior to joining Kasirer, Eldad was Director, Zoning Services at Envelope. In this role, he oversaw Envelope’s professional services offerings, which include zoning and massing analyses, as well as guiding clients through discretionary action processes. Additionally, Eldad provided guidance on the firm’s zoning strategy, working closely with the firm’s partners iterating through acquisition opportunities. Eldad is an urban planner with a deep knowledge of zoning and development in New York City. He served for eight years as an Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning at Columbia University’s GSAPP, where he taught classes focusing on land use Approvals, zoning, housing policy, along with leading several planning studios. Prior to joining Envelope, Eldad was Chief Land Use and Development Specialist at Herrick, Feinstein LLP, where he guided clients through the public review process, obtaining their discretionary zoning approvals for nearly a decade. Eldad has a Bachelor’s in History and Sociology from Brandeis University and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Columbia University. He sits on the Town of New Castle’s Planning Board, where he was appointed to a five-year term.

As Regional Vice President of Development for the Northeast Region, Kristina is responsible for oversight for all affordable, workforce, market-rate and student development activities in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. She is also the lead developer on major projects in New Hampshire, Virginia, and Atlanta, GA. Ms. Vagen has always been passionate about responsible and sustainable development. She began her career serving the most vulnerable populations with permanent supportive housing. Upon joining Michaels in August of 2008, Ms. Vagen joined Michaels and the affordable division and served as a developer and project manager overseeing the financing, construction, and lease up for seven mixed finance developments in Jersey City and Camden, NJ which have been key to the transformation of those cities. Shortly after transitioning to the Student Housing and Market Rate division of Michaels Development, Ms. Vagen was promoted to Vice President in 2013 and has since led development teams in new conventional and apartment communities throughout the country. In 2023, when Michaels combined all of its development activities, she was promoted to Regional Vice President of the Northeast. She is a role model for Michaels, to both young developers and women, and a mentor. She also is very active in an advisory role to the Corporate Specifications team, Ms. Vagen received her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Rutgers University as well as her Master’s Degree in City Planning from University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Vagen has been a member of the Urban Land Institute since 2006 and regularly volunteers at the Community Design Collaborative in Philadelphia and personally, at Crossroads Church in Shamong, NJ where her brother is Lead Pastor.

Brett J. Gottlieb is partner in Herrick's Real Estate Department where he represents real estate owners, lessees and developers in the application process for New York City’s real property tax incentives including 421-a, ICIP/ICAP and FRESH. Brett counsels clients regarding their property tax benefit applications with respect to project eligibility, benefit calculation, benefit planning and implementation of the exemption or abatement of real property tax in the City of New York. For the Industrial Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP), Brett counsels owners, developers, architects and contractors on the ICAP Rules and Law pertaining to applications submitted to the New York City Department of Finance. Additionally, he advises on the Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority/Women Business Owned Enterprise (M/WBE) requirements included within Executive Order 50 of 1980, Executive Order 94 of 1986, Local Law 67 of 2008 and Local Law 102 of 2018 as they pertain to ICAP project before the Department of Small Business Services, Division of Labor Services. Brett's experience with the 421-a Partial Tax Exemption Program and its successor Affordable New York (421-a(16)) includes counseling clients on project eligibility, rent stabilization, dwelling unit stacking, affordable unit proportionality, building measurement, benefit planning and calculation. Brett assists owners and managing agents with the submission of initial and annual rent registrations to the Division of Homes & Community Renewal (DHCR). For the FRESH Program, he counsels clients on the tax incentive benefit, core application submission, benefit calculations and various program requirements and restrictions. Brett also prepares attorney opinion letters including tax projections for ICAP, 421-a and FRESH. He also counsels lenders and purchasers as part of the due diligence and underwriting and underwriting requirements. He counsels both landlords and tenants with regards to property tax incentive clauses in leases. Before joining Herrick, Brett was a partner at Tuchman, Weiss, Liebman & Lindemann, LLP.