Kathie served as Senior Counsel to the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during the Obama Administration before becoming counsel in Nixon Peabody’s Affordable Housing practice group. Through her years at HUD and in the private sector, Kathie has extensive experience navigating regulatory requirements in all types of affordable housing transactions and is one of the nation’s foremost professionals in public housing repositioning, including the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), Section 18 demolition/disposition and Section 22 conversion.
From the outside, government agencies can often feel like black boxes, where it’s unclear whom to talk to, what to do or how to even get your request heard. Because of my experience with HUD, I can help clients navigate the regulatory landscape. Together we can assess issues and think strategically about paths forward. I help resolve clients’ concerns, whether they involve interpreting and reconciling program requirements, negotiating a resolution to open investigations and enforcement actions or structuring the next opportunity.
I handle all types of affordable housing transactions. During my time at HUD, I helped develop the RAD program, harmonize LIHTC and FHA multifamily requirements, update the Section 232 health care documents and rewrite the 2530 regulations. In private practice, I have represented developers, housing authorities and public entities, syndicators and other players in LIHTC and other affordable housing transactions. I am able to advise clients on issues raised by HUD and to navigate the complex requirements of multi-layered transactions.
I am passionate about affordable housing and community development and eager to keep our industry growing and moving forward. Speaking at industry events, networking and sharing knowledge and collaborating with stakeholders ensures that we keep each other current on emerging issues and new opportunities.
Decreasing public funding and polarized political environments put affordable housing programs in jeopardy but there are continued and new opportunities for those who can stay creative and nimble.
Affordable Housing Finance | July 28, 2020
This article on the $224 million in supplemental payments that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is making available to owners of properties receiving project-based rental assistance links to New York City Affordable Housing & Real Estate counsel Kathie Soroka and strategic policy advisor Deborah VanAmerongen’s client alert on the topic.
Bloomberg Tax | June 23, 2020
New York City Affordable Housing & Real Estate counsel Kathie Soroka contributed this article on how the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program can be combined with low-income housing tax credits to provide stable investment opportunities in uncertain times.
Affordable Housing Finance | February 07, 2019
New York City Affordable Housing and Real Estate counsel Kathie Soroka and Boston Community Development Finance partner Forrest Milder contributed this article outlining five ways in which low-income housing tax credit transactions can benefit from opportunity zone funds.
The Gothamist | November 15, 2018
New York City Affordable Housing & Real Estate counsel Kathie Soroka is quoted extensively in this story about the city’s plan to use the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration program to improve thousands of Section 8 apartments.
Harvard Law School, J.D.
Washington and Lee University, B.A., summa cum laude
Illinois
New Jersey
New York
Affordable Housing Blog |