A co-leader of BakerHostetler’s Community Development team and the Partner-in-Charge of the Austin office, Cynthia Bast is nationally recognized for her work in affordable housing finance and regulatory matters. She represents an array of clients across the diverse affordable housing spectrum. For more than 30 years, Cynthia has helped for-profit and nonprofit developers, along with investors and governmental entities, to develop, acquire, construct, finance, operate and preserve housing in Texas and other locations across the country. Throughout her career, Cynthia has worked with thousands of properties utilizing financing tools such as housing tax credits; tax-exempt bonds; HUD programs; other federal, state and local programs; and private equity. She is a creative problem-solver for complex transactions.
Cynthia’s passion for affordable housing makes her a prominent advocate at the public policy level. She represents clients before the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs in regulatory matters and works with the Texas Legislature for consideration of the special needs of the industry. Cynthia is a frequent speaker and teacher on affordable housing matters, and has been addressing preservation of existing affordable housing stock in recent years.
In 2014, Cynthia’s contributions were acknowledged when she was bestowed the Jean W. MacDonald Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. Other accolades include recognition as a Leading Global Real Estate Lawyer by Lawdragon and being Chambers rated in Real Estate.