Good news for students looking to further their education in affordable housing development as Hunt Capital Partners, (HCP), announced their financial commitment to the University of Southern California’s Stan and Marilyn Ross Minority Program in Real Estate (USC Ross).
Hunt, a national syndicator of Federal and State Low-Income Housing, Historic, and Solar Tax Credits, launches the Hunt Capital Partners Tuition Assistance Fund for USC Ross and affirms HCP’s dedication to fostering equal opportunities for everyone.
There is a lack of diversity in the real estate industry. Research shows that of $69 trillion of assets in the global investment market, including in real estate, just 1.3 percent is invested in firms that women or minorities run, according to a 2019 report from the Bella Research Group and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Hunt’s Capital Partners Tuition Assistance Fund, HCP commits to providing student scholarships for five years as well as to introducing a diverse student population to the development of affordable housing.
The Hunt Capital Partners Tuition Assistance Fund will support two students per USC Ross Program session. Each scholarship award will cover up to 50 percent of each student’s tuition costs.
Four students will receive awards annually. Scholarships will be awarded to students in the form of tuition credit beginning with the winter 2021 session and concluding with the 2025 summer session.
As part of the scholarship commitment, HCP’s staff will participate in the program’s curriculum lecturing students on the development and financing of affordable housing. HCP’s President Jeff Weiss will serve as a guest lecturer on affordable housing.
“Hunt Capital Partners wholeheartedly supports the USC Ross Minority Program in Real Estate’s mission to empower minorities and individuals from underserved communities.”
“Our firm is dedicated to supporting initiatives that fight against inequality, discrimination, and that create fair and equal opportunities for all. We hope that the Hunt Capital Partners Tuition Assistance Fund will help provide a path for individuals to create or expand a foundation that leads to leadership and success in real estate finance and development,” said HCP’s President Jeff Weiss.
“Championing a diverse workforce as well as those who invest time, talent, and energy into affordable housing is one of our core values at HCP. We are proud to partner with my alma mater USC in this effort.”
“The Ross Program is a 12 full-day real estate boot camp that teaches skills in market analysis, financial modeling, design, and the politics of real estate,” said Richard K. Green, who is the director and chair of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, chair of the Department of Real Estate Development, and a professor.
“It helps individuals who have not had ready entry into real estate development gain the tools they need to take their first steps in that business.”
“My experience in the program was transformational,” said Denise Kees, a 2016 USC Ross Program graduate and vice president of sales and marketing at Kees’ Realty, Inc.
“The program really opened my eyes to the interconnectivity of the built environment, the policy and funding that shapes it, and most importantly, the voice of the people it affects.
“While there, I was able to see in real-time the residents of Leimert Park organize to make sure incoming development met their needs versus being told how it would meet their needs. The civic engagement coupled with the knowledge and networking of the program has shaped how I want to leave an impact on real estate through housing policy. I would not have had the confidence or the foundation to do this without Ross.”
The USC Stan and Marilyn Ross Minority Program in Real Estate was established in 1995 and is the Executive Education Certificate Program for the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.
With more than a thousand graduates, its mission is to expand the pool of talented professionals and broaden options for investment in urban communities. The USC Ross Program is an educational platform that provides critical skills to women and minorities. It offers graduates the opportunity to further enhance their real estate and real estate finance skills, allowing them to participate in leadership roles and establish a pathway for success within the real estate industry.
Hunt Capital Partners (HCP) is the tax credit syndication division of Hunt Companies, Inc. (Hunt). HCP specializes in the sponsorship of Federal and State Low-Income Housing, Historic, and Solar Tax Credit Investments funds.
Since its inception in 2010, HCP has raised over $2.2 billion in tax credit equity in over 40 proprietary and multi-investor funds. HCP manages almost 800 project partnerships representing over 80,000 homes in 51 states and territories.
Founded in 1947, Hunt is a privately held company that invests in businesses focused in the real estate and infrastructure markets.
The activities of Hunt’s affiliates and investors include investment management, asset management, property management, development, construction, consulting and advisory. For more information on HCP, please visit www.huntcapitalpartners.com, or for Hunt, please visit www.huntcompanies.com
University of Southern California Ross Minority Program in Real EstateThe USC Ross Minority Program in Real Estate (RMPIRE) is an intensive, comprehensive continuing education program designed to provide real estate practitioners, non-profit and community leaders, public sector decision-makers, and entrepreneurs with skills and expertise to influence the redevelopment process in traditionally underserved communities. For more information, visit www.usc.edu/ross.
