Director of Tax and Housing Advocacy
National Council of State Housing Agencies
Jennifer Schwartz is the Director of Tax and Housing Advocacy at the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), where she manages NCSHA’s policy and legislative advocacy work with specific focus on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and tax-exempt private activity Housing Bonds. In addition, Jennifer oversees advocacy related to the HOME Investment Partnerships program, rental assistance, and HUD appropriations broadly and played a leading role in state agency implementation of Covid-era housing emergency programs. On behalf of NCSHA, Jennifer co-chairs the Steering Committee of the A Call To Invest in Our Neighborhoods (ACTION) Campaign and heads the ACTION Legislative Subcommittee. She rejoined NCSHA in 2014 after previously holding the role of Senior Legislative and Policy Associate at the organization from 2001-2005.
From 2005 to 2014, Jennifer was the Director of Policy and Programs for the Southern Governors’ Association, where she focused on facilitating gubernatorial bipartisan collaboration on policy areas including economic development, healthcare, trade, workforce development, and energy/environment. Earlier in her career, she worked as a counselor and case manager at Women’s Protective Services, a domestic violence shelter and rape crisis hotline and counseling center in Massachusetts, and as a project consultant for the Massachusetts Advocacy Center (now Massachusetts Advocates for Children), a Boston-based nonprofit children’s advocacy organization.
Jennifer earned a Master of Science degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University with a double major in Psychology and Sociology, graduating magna cum laude with Phi Beta Kappa honors.
As housing affordability remains a top national priority, policymakers in Washington are advancing a wave of legislative and regulatory initiatives aimed at boosting housing supply, expanding affordability, and reshaping the role of federal programs. In addition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a bipartisan housing package—the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act—has gained significant momentum, alongside ongoing regulatory changes at HUD that are impacting rental assistance, development incentives, and compliance requirements. This session will explore how these evolving federal policy developments are translating into real-world impacts for issuers, developers, and housing finance agencies. Panelists will discuss the implications for tax-exempt financing, the use of federal and state housing tools, and where new opportunities and uncertainties are emerging across the market.