In 2021, KeyBank was the second largest affordable housing lender in the nation, providing a variety of financing solutions to affordable owners and developers with projects in all 50 states. Their secret? A carefully curated team of industry experts intent on moving the needle forward on the nationwide housing crisis.

KeyBank’s latest addition is a quintessential example. In December, Celia Smoot, joined the firm as SVP to oversee fund investments, and she brings an impressive resume of experience to her role, starting her career as an affordable housing real estate attorney at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development before transitioning to the capital side, most recently as VP at the National Affordable Housing Trust.

We sat down with Smoot for an exclusive episode of GlobeSt.com Thought Leadership podcast series to discuss her deep experience in the affordable housing sector, her move to KeyBank and her goals for the position, before getting her insights on affordable housing investment in the US.