HDTI in Focus: Meet Ryan Ortiz
1.05.2023
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LISC StoriesAffordable Housing
A first-generation college graduate, Ryan Ortiz faced housing insecurity while growing up in Holland, Michigan. This experience led him to his current role as Project Manager specializing in real estate development at Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation. He was selected to participate in LISC’s Housing Development Training Institute (HDTI), a uniquely comprehensive program that provides hands-on experience to community development professionals throughout California. Over three years (2022-2024), HDTI is funded by Merritt Community Capital Corporation’s Commitment to California initiative.
When Ryan started college at Michigan State University, housing was one of his top concerns because of the unaffordable options. After searching for alternatives, he found the Spartan Housing Co-op, a non-profit providing affordable off-campus housing to students and the Greater Lansing community. He lived in the co-op and became increasingly involved, eventually becoming president and managing capital improvements.
Facing housing insecurity both as a child and as a college student has fueled his work to find solutions to increase the housing supply. After graduating from college, Ryan remained committed to reducing the barriers to affordable housing development by working with decision-makers in local jurisdictions and increasing housing in communities most in need.
Ryan is currently working on two projects that are tackling the homelessness crisis and the skyrocketing cost of housing:
- The Village Senior Apartments is a 50-unit gated community project for seniors and unhoused veterans in Santa Barbara County.
- The Dolores Huerta Gardens is a 58-unit affordable housing project for farmworkers and unhoused veterans in the Oxnard area and is expected to break ground in 2023.
Ryan credits HDTI with helping him understand the fundamentals and giving him the tools to navigate and communicate better throughout the entire development process. With what he’s learned, he provides his team with more effective and informed decisions on project financing and works with lenders to find favorable project terms. He has also gained an invaluable network of other affordable housing professionals that he can count on to provide recommendations and support.
“HDTI has allowed me to understand the entire development and financial process to make decisions more efficiently and quickly. Housing security is foundational for success, and kids should be able to focus on school and building relationships - not if they will be able to live in the same place each year,” said Ryan.
Learn more about the program and sign up to receive updates about the next application at: https://www.lisc.org/los-angeles/what-we-do/affordable-housing/california-housing-development-training-institute-hdti.
