|  Rancho Cucamonga , CA – Orlando J. Cabrera, the former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has been named the new chief executive officer of National Community Renaissance, one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing non-profit developers of affordable housing, it was announced Thursday.
“I'm thrilled to be joining National CORE, whose work and innovation are creating badly-needed affordable housing for the nation,” said Cabrera. “The nation's need for affordable housing is growing exponentially, and National CORE is one of the very few organizations whose pioneering and comprehensive delivery model is transforming whole communities and improving the lives of low-income residents on a significant scale. To be able to make a difference of this magnitude was too good an opportunity to pass up,” Cabrera said. Cabrera was nominated by President Bush to serve as HUD's Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, a position he held from November 2005 until January 2008. “Cabrera's extensive experience in all aspects of affordable housing dovetails with National CORE's mission to preserve and develop affordable housing nationwide,” said Jeffrey Burum, Chairman and Founder of National CORE. Burum noted that Cabrera also has considerable background in real estate, public finance and tax credit transactions at the federal, state and county levels. That experience will prove vital in furthering National CORE's ground-breaking business model that has successfully transformed troubled affordable housing properties into thriving communities. “The old model wasn't working, so we developed a new, holistic approach to community development that encompasses all aspects of building and renovating affordable housing, from design and construction to financing and management,” Burum said. “ Orlando 's knowledge and passion for innovation mirror the ideals we embody as we create safe and healthy neighborhoods.” National CORE united a group of long-established companies and a social service foundation under a single mantle, creating one of the nation's fastest-growing non-profit developers with the capacity for large-scale development and family and senior service delivery. Named ‘Best Multifamily Developer of 2004' by the National Association of Home Builders, National CORE has grown to build, acquire, manage, and deliver family and senior services to nearly 9,500 apartment units with a total asset value of nearly $1 billion in six states, providing safe and healthy homes to more than 27,000 families, seniors and the disabled. “National CORE is well-known for tackling tough projects and securing positive results. Adding Mr. Cabrera to their already impressive management team of development and real estate leaders will serve to further their track record of success,” said Rudy Montiel, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles . Barbara J. Thompson, Executive Director National Council of State Housing Agencies, called Cabrera a “perfect fit” for National CORE. “This is a real coup for National CORE to bring aboard someone of Orlando 's caliber as one of the best minds in real estate and public finance, ” she said. As Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, Cabrera was responsible for the management, operation and oversight of HUD's $24 billion public housing, Section 8 and Native American programs. Before joining HUD, Cabrera served as Executive Director of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation for nearly three years where he spearheaded significant technology upgrades of their data systems, improved the agency's financial condition and led efforts to better serve low-income Florida residents. Cabrera was intensely involved in Florida 's hurricane recovery efforts and served on former Governor Jeb Bush's Hurricane Housing Work Group. During this time, Cabrera was also elected and served as a director on the Board of the National Council of State Housing Agencies. Cabrera's involvement with Florida Housing began in December, 2000 when Gov. Bush appointed him as a citizen representative on Florida Housing's Board of Directors. Cabrera became the board's vice chairman in 2001 and served as its chairman before being named Executive Director in February 2003. Before being named Executive Director of Florida Housing, Cabrera was a partner with an international law firm where he practiced in that law firm's real estate group in its Miami office. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984 from the University of Michigan and his law degree in 1989 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Formed through the merger of several established affordable housing non-profit organizations and a social service foundation, National Community Renaissance (National CORE) c urrently operates 9,500 affordable housing apartments providing homes to more than 27,000 individuals in six states, including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and Texas. |
