Every community deserves a great team

Ms. Jackson is a transactional attorney whose practice has been the perfect marriage of practicing law and giving back to the community. With more than 30 years of real estate experience, Toni currently represents for-profit and non-profit developers and public housing agencies in commercial real estate development and affordable housing financing. She has represented clients in the development of multifamily housing, mixed-use complexes, residential subdivisions, and commercial office and retail spaces. Toni concentrates her practice in mixed-finance transactions involving tax credits, FHA financing, and other public funding. Additionally, she serves as special and general counsel to a number of public housing authorities, with a specific emphasis on US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), public housing, and development issues. Ms. Jackson has also represented issuers and served as bond counsel in 4% bond transactions.

Toni has overseen and conducted multi-level transactions that include the coordination of multiple funding sources from public and private entities. She has most recently worked with clients 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.

In addition to her transactional practice, Ms. Jackson also handles administrative and governmental affairs issues before state agencies and legislative bodies. She has worked extensively in assisting with the crafting of language for the Qualified Allocation Plan (“QAP”) in several states and continues to monitor QAP changes, legislation and case law that impact the housing industry. Ms. Jackson regularly provides written and oral testimony before municipalities, state agencies and legislative bodies on behalf of clients and the housing industry particularly in the areas of affordable housing, construction, specialized financing tools and other real estate issues and concerns. Toni has been a passionate advocate for affordable housing and throughout her career has worked extensively on efforts to increase home ownership and rental housing for low to moderate income families.

Ms. Jackson has received numerous recognitions for her volunteerism, professional and community leadership. In July 2018, she was awarded the Jean MacDonald Lifetime Achievement in Housing by the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers and recognized by the NBA Women Lawyers Division for her commitment to diversity as Outstanding Minority Partner in Majority Firm. She frequently serves as a speaker and guest lecturer in the area of affordable housing and community development law including disaster funding and recovery and housing choice/disparate impact issues.

J.D., Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law
B.A., University of Virginia

Texas

American Bar Association

• Forum on Affordable Housing and Community and Development Law
• Real Estate Section
• Business Law Section
• American Bar Foundation, Fellow

National Bar Association

• Real Estate Section
• Tax Section
• National Bar Institute, Fellow

Houston Lawyers Association

Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow

Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow

Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers

National Association of Housing Redevelopment Officials

Women in Public Finance – Houston Region

Urban Land Institute, Affordable/Workforce Product
Council, Houston Region

Women in Affordable Housing Network

Houston Habitat for Humanity

Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority

Texas Southern University Foundation, Board Member

The Links, Incorporated, Texas Spring Cypress (TX) Chapter

Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Alumni Board

University of Virginia Alumni Association

UVA Jefferson Scholars Regional Committee

JazzHouston

• Addressing Misconceptions In Affordable Housing To Build Inclusive Communities, BuzzHouse Podcast, August 2022
• Business Transactions and Document Drafting, Adjunct Professor, Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, Summer 2019
• Residential Preferences in Affordable Housing Developments, Moderator, ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, Annual Conference, May 2019
• GRIT, The Secret to Advancement: Stories of Successful Women Lawyers, Essay Author, American Bar Association Publications, August 2017
• Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Overview, Instructor, ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, Fall Bootcamp, October 2016.
• HUD Hot Topics, Speaker, Novogradac, Affordable Housing Conference, October, 2016.
• Ferguson’s Fault Lines: Reflecting on Ferguson and the Lawyers’ Role in Restoring Justice, Speaker, American Bar Association, Annual Meeting, August 2016.
• 221(d)(4) Tax Credit Pilot Program, Moderator, Texas Housing Conference, July 2016.
• Supportive Housing: A Discussion on Developing Affordable Assisted Living Facilities, Moderator, ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, Annual Conference, May 2016.
• How New Fair Housing Rules Impact Local Affordable Housing Activity, Speaker, National Association of Local Housing Finance Associations, Annual Conference, April 2016
• How New Fair Housing Rules Impact Local Affordable Housing Activity, Panelist, National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies’ Annual Conference, April 2016
• An Issue of Choice: Affordable Housing in Houston and NIMBYism, Article Author, The National Law Review, April 19, 2016.

National Bar Association, Women’s Lawyer Division “Outstanding Minority Partner in a Majority Firm” (2018)

Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers Jean W. MacDonald Lifetime Achievement Award (2018)

Top 30 Influential Women of Houston (2017)

Houston Habitat for Humanity Carl Umland Humanitarian Award for Leadership and Commitment (2017)

National Bar Association, Wiley A. Branton Award for Civil Rights Advocacy (2016)