Antoinette “Toni” M. Jackson has joined Jones Walker LLP’s Real Estate Practice Group as a partner and is a member of the Affordable Housing team.
Ms. Jackson has more than 20 years of real estate experience in both the private and public sector focusing primarily in commercial and affordable housing transactions. She currently practices in the areas of commercial real estate development and affordable housing financing representing both for-profit and non-profit developers and public housing agencies.
“We are excited to welcome Toni to the firm and to our Affordable Housing team. Her extensive experience in the industry will be a tremendous asset to our clients,” said Jones Walker’s New York office head and housing industry team chair, The Hon. Rick Lazio, former U.S. Representative from New York.
Ms. Jackson has represented clients in the development of multifamily housing, mixed-use complexes, residential subdivisions and commercial office and retail. She has closed tax credit and bond transactions, totaling more than $500 million, as well as assisted with the preparation of tax credit, HOPE VI and other public funding applications. Ms. Jackson works with numerous housing authorities and has successfully served as the lead attorney for the redevelopment of public housing units through the preparation and implementation of HOPE VI transactions, demolition/disposition applications, redevelopment plans and Capital Funds Financing. She has served as lead counsel in the successful implementation of several HOPE VI grants.
Ms. Jackson has overseen and conducted multi-level transactions, which included the coordination of several funding sources from public and private entities. She has most recently worked with housing authorities and private developers as they redevelop housing in response to recent disasters. These transactions have included GO Zone tax credits, GO Zone bonds and CDBG-Disaster Recovery Funds.
Ms. Jackson worked as Attorney-Advisor in the Houston area office of HUD where her responsibilities included the oversight and implementation of HUD regulations. She negotiated and closed transactions on foreclosure sales, new construction and refinancing projects for a portfolio in 37 counties in Texas and throughout Louisiana.
Ms. Jackson also served in the Office of General Counsel at Texas Southern University (“TSU”) where she assisted in the acquisition of property for TSU. During that time, Ms. Jackson was also responsible for working directly with the TSU administration in all matters of operation, procurement and oversight of building contracts, as well as personnel matters including tenure disputes and work-related immigration matters.
She has served on several community task forces which focused on housing trends and community redevelopment. She has provided oversight to public housing complexes on issues such as HOPE VI applications, resident training and partnerships with social service organizations, and currently consults with public housing agencies in revitalization issues. Ms. Jackson has also been involved in the creation and representation of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (“TIRZs”) in the City of Houston.
Ms. Jackson has worked extensively with the City of Houston, Housing Authority of the City of Texarkana, Texas, Galveston Housing Authority, Shreveport Housing Authority, City of Chicago, City of New Orleans and other governmental entities in an effort to increase home ownership and rental housing for low to moderate income families through the implementation and partnership with HUD sponsored programs. Ms. Jackson frequently serves as a speaker and guest lecturer in the areas of affordable housing, community development and disaster funding and recovery. She also recently authored a chapter in the American Bar Association book titled, Building Community Resilience Post-Disaster: A Guide for Affordable Housing and Community Economic Development Practitioners.
