SAN DIEGO, July 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As Affirmed Housing has accelerated its growth across California in recent years, the affordable housing developer has announced the promotion of two key leaders. Rob Wilkins has been promoted to Vice President, Northern California, and Mellody Lock has been promoted to Director of Development for the company’s Southern California development pipeline. As one of the most established and well-respected developers of affordable housing, Affirmed Housing’s promotions address California’s most critical issue.
Rob Wilkins
As Affirmed Housing’s new Vice President, Northern California, Rob Wilkins is tasked with continuing to grow the company’s Northern California presence through the strategic acquisition and development of affordable housing properties in partnership with local communities. After joining Affirmed Housing in October 2018, Mr. Wilkins led the charge on opening and then managing the Bay Area office in San Jose. He will soon expand the company’s Bay Area team to three (3) members, while receiving operational assistance from Affirmed’s headquarters in San Diego. The company’s Bay Area pipeline consists of developments in San Mateo, Alameda, and Santa Clara Counties, with further expansion planned in the region. Mr. Wilkins is a certified LEED Green Associate and a Yale University graduate with extensive experience managing development operations for multifamily and permanent supportive housing developments.
Mr. Wilkins states, “The most rewarding aspect of my job has been getting to see the real-world impact of our efforts every day I go to work. Now with a roof over their head, folks who were formerly experiencing homelessness are starting to thrive again. Seeing the excitement and rejuvenation on someone’s face every day is both gratifying and inspiring.”
Mellody Lock
Recently promoted to Director of Development, Mellody Lock now manages Affirmed Housing’s Southern California development pipeline, which currently consists of 12 developments in San Diego and Los Angeles Counties. She also oversees the development staff, soon expanding to seven (7) team members. Since joining the company in June 2016 as a Project Manager focused on acquisitions, underwriting, entitlements and financing of new developments, she has closed eight (8) deals in excess of $300 million in total financing. Ms. Lock has worked on numerous Affirmed Housing projects, including: Aria, Bella Vita, Villas on the Park, Della Rosa, Emerson, and Alora to name a few. An industry expert, Ms. Lock has spent her entire career in the field of affordable housing.
Ms. Lock states, “One of the most recent and rewarding aspects of my time at Affirmed was working on our Westhaven project in Los Angeles. Collectively our closing team and financial partner, Bank of America, came up with resourceful ways to structure the deal, and the design team worked hard and fast to make the inevitable last-minute changes. I can’t express how gratifying it feels when things line up.”
Jimmy Silverwood, Executive Vice President of Affirmed Housing, states, “Having Rob’s experienced leadership in Northern California will allow us tremendous opportunity in a market where we are very keen on developing more affordable housing. Mellody’s well-deserved promotion exemplifies how much she has contributed to our team over the years. Mellody has been a great asset for the cause of affordable housing development in California. I couldn’t be more pleased to recognize both individuals’ service and commitment to one of the most challenging global issues of our time.”
Affirmed Housing
Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing. The company aims at enhancing communities and our environment by building dynamic, professionally-managed, high-quality green multifamily housing. Areas of expertise include site selection, engineering, architecture, construction, relocation, and marketing. Affirmed also has extensive knowledge in public finance, low-income housing tax credit acquisition, and tax-exempt bond financing. The company has financed over $1.95 billion in affordable development, with 4,900 units developed or under development in 64 communities. For more information, visit www.affirmedhousing.com.
