Orlando Cabrera advises clients including financial institutions, investors, syndicators, developers, public housing authorities, housing
finance agencies, community development agencies, cities and counties on successfully navigating complex affordable housing
matters. Mr. Cabrera has significant experience with United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulatory
matters (including Native American housing issues), housing finance agency issues, low-income housing tax credits, private activity bonds,
debt financing, non-federal state financing programs, tribal financing programs, and general real estate.
After his Senate confirmation in late 2005, he served as Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing at HUD until 2008. As Assistant
Secretary, Mr. Cabrera oversaw the administration of a US$24 billion program, which included public housing, Section 8 vouchers,
moderate rehabilitation (Mod Rehab) and most federal housing programs for Native American tribes nationwide. He is one of three
recipients of the Office of Inspector General’s Golden Eagle Award for Public Integrity.
Prior to his role at HUD, Mr. Cabrera served as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation,
the nation’s fourth largest housing finance agency, where he developed policies for managing the allocation of the low-income housing tax
credit, private activity bonds, HOME Investment Partnership Fund, State Housing Trust Fund and Local Government Housing Trust Fund.
During his tenure at Florida Housing, he also served on the Board of the National Council of State Housing Agencies.
Mr. Cabrera’s prior experience includes serving as the president and chief executive officer of a major affordable housing developer that
operated in six states where he led the company through the 2008 economic downturn and planned, disposed of, financed, constructed or
rehabilitated approximately 2,200 affordable housing units.
Mr. Cabrera also has extensive experience in the area of disaster recovery, having worked closely through more than a dozen natural
disasters with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and various state disaster recovery agencies during his time at HUD and
Florida Housing.
Prior to heading Florida Housing, Mr. Cabrera was the chair and vice chair of Florida Housing’s Board of Directors and a partner in the real
estate department of a major Florida-based law firm. He has acted as developer’s, investor’s or lender’s counsel for hundreds of real estate
transactions throughout his career. Mr. Cabrera has extensive experience in most areas of real estate law including airport, office,
commercial, and single and multifamily residential development.
He has been a frequent speaker and presenter before various committees in the United States Congress, the Florida legislature, many
state and local governments, and many affordable housing and real estate industry trade groups. He has served, and still serves, on the
board of directors for a variety of industry-related groups.
Representative Experience
Successfully advised affordable housing developers involved in criminal and civil actions undertaken by the United States Department of
Justice and United States Attorneys in various Districts
Successfully advised project based contract administrators seeking to compel the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) to comply with federal procurement law and keep HUD from unlawfully awarding PBCA contracts