Access to safe, decent, and affordable housing is essential to human well-being. It is incredibly fulfilling to see our work come to life in local communities and to share in this success with tenants and mission-driven stakeholders nationwide.

Emily Ameel advises nonprofit and for-profit developers on a wide range of affordable housing, construction, and rehabilitation projects across the country. She regularly provides guidance on transactions involving Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, ensuring clients remain compliant with relevant rules, regulations, and deadlines.

During her time at Penn State Dickinson Law, Emily solidified her interest in affordable housing and regularly draws on her prior experience working at a Maryland-based consulting agency focusing specifically on HUD programs and applications. She gained direct experience conducting due diligence review of entity governance documents, deciphering, and applying CFR regulatory requirements for HUD transactions.

  • Represented nonprofit developer in an affordable housing portfolio acquisition of five projects with HUD-insured loans and/or rental assistance contracts, including Transfers of Physical Assets (TPA), modified Transfers of Physical Assets (mTPA), and assignments of Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments contracts (PBRA HAP contracts).
  • Represented nonprofit developers in transactions involving the refinance of existing debt with HUD-insured loans, assignment of PBRA and PBV HAP contracts to buyers, and bifurcation of PBRA HAP contracts in connection with project redevelopment.
  • Represented developers in transfers of project-based rental assistance (PBRA) subsidy under Section 8bb of the National Housing Act and transfers of Mark-to-Market Use Agreements under the HUD Post Mark-to-Market guidance.
  • Counseled developer clients on issues involving regulatory compliance, including the HUD Previous Participation Certification (HUD Form-2530 and APPS System), resolution of HUD APPS System flags, and HUD review and approval of amended and restated organizational documents for non-profit project owners.

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Tejia Pavao

Legal Assistant
202.926.3421

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Member 
  • ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development, Member

  • Penn State Dickinson Law, J.D.
  • University of Georgia, B.S., Psychology
  • University of Georgia, B.A., Women's Studies

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia

I enjoy spending time with family and pets, reading, running, hot yoga, and hiking in my free time. Over the past few years, I have hiked the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim twice, visited all five national parks in Utah, and spent a week hiking in Yosemite Valley.