Suzanne “Suzie” Cope discovered affordable housing early in her career.
As an intern at Fannie Mae, she was exposed to different people and roles at the company, which led to a job there as a senior account manager, structuring affordable and market-rate transactions. That early experience opened the door for Cope, who has become a national leader in financing affordable housing.
Now a managing director at Lument, she originates multifamily property loans, with a heavy focus on affordable housing deals. Over her still young career, Cope has been involved in providing nearly $1.5 billion in financing to developers. In just the past two years, her efforts have helped support the construction or preservation of 3,100 affordable homes across the country.
It’s working with others in the affordable housing industry that’s resonated most with her.
“We’ve seen in the past year more than ever people partnering with new capital sources, and nonprofits and for-profits teaming up to get deals done … I appreciate all the people that I’ve been able to work with,” she says. “I believe who you work with keeps you coming back, so the biggest piece is the people and the mission as well.”
Cope adds that she’s thankful that the affordable housing industry has remained strong during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and economic turbulence.
Cope was previously an executive at Hunt Real Estate Capital, which was acquired by ORIX USA in 2020. ORIX then combined Hunt, Lancaster Pollard, and RED Capital Group under the new Lument brand.She is on the board of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association and previously served on the Fannie Mae originator committee.
While earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing, Cope played on the Tulane University golf team. The mother of a young daughter, she is based in Colorado.
