April Housing (April), a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company committed to the creation and preservation of high-quality affordable housing in the U.S., today announced the appointment of Jana Barbe, a longtime affordable housing advocate, as Senior Advisor to April. Ms. Barbe has spent her career leading and advising organizations focused on advancing affordable housing in the United States.

“Jana is a renowned voice and preeminent advocate at the forefront of the affordable housing industry and brings invaluable knowledge and passion,” said Alice Carr, CEO of April Housing. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Jana on board as we work to find innovative solutions alongside both investors and non-profits to address our nation’s affordable housing crisis. Jana embodies our mission to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing, and we look forward to working with her to advance this important goal.”

“There is a profound shortage of affordable housing in our country,” said Ms. Barbe. “I’ve devoted my career to affordable housing and identifying ways to solve this national crisis and I am eager to bring my experience to April in support of its mission. I am inspired by the dedication of Alice and the April Housing team and I look forward to partnering with them as they expand their operations to drive meaningful change in communities across the country.”

About Jana Barbe

Ms. Barbe has dedicated her career to advancing affordable housing in the United States, with extensive experience as a non-profit developer, strategic advisor, and legal counsel in the industry. She is a preeminent authority on the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), having been instrumental in the development, financing and operation of thousands of affordable housing units representing billions of dollars of investment through the LIHTC program.

Ms. Barbe spent more than 25 years as a partner at Dentons law firm, where she represented market leading financial institutions and insurance companies in connection with their affordable housing and community development investment programs. Ms. Barbe was the first woman appointed to the Dentons’ Global Board and served as Dentons’ first woman Global Vice Chair appointed from the United States region. Ms. Barbe previously served as General Counsel of Thresholds, one of Illinois’ oldest and largest providers of supportive affordable housing, where she led the company’s efforts to develop housing programs for at risk communities including homeless individuals and those suffering from mental illnesses. In this role, Ms. Barbe successfully developed numerous affordable and supportive housing projects throughout the city of Chicago including apartment buildings, group homes and Single Room Occupancy housing (SROs) supported by a variety of funding sources including low-income housing tax credits and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Ms. Barbe currently serves as a Life Director of Thresholds and a board member at The Association, a global community of extraordinary women. She previously served as the Chairperson of the Board of Advisors of Catalyst Inc., the acclaimed international women’s advocacy organization.

About April Housing

April Housing, a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company, is a leading provider of solutions and capital for the preservation and creation of high-quality affordable housing in the United States. Centered around best-in-class management services, April Housing prioritizes improving communities and supporting residents while expanding the available supply of affordable housing. April Housing’s initial portfolio consists of more than 90,000 LIHTC apartments throughout the U.S. Further information is available at aprilhousing.com.

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