First National Denver expands expertise to support affordable housing

DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - Oct 18, 2016) - First National Denver's commercial real estate division announced today it has expanded its offering to support the acquisition, rehabilitation and construction of affordable housing commercial real estate projects throughout the Colorado marketplace.

"Our goal is to work in partnership with nonprofit organizations, developers and public policy officials to develop solutions to Colorado's mounting housing challenges," said Meredith Johnson, head of the affordable housing commercial real estate specialization at First National. "Our community-centric approach to banking complements likeminded developers and nonprofits passionate about preserving and expanding affordable housing in our community."

Johnson is a commercial banker with 18 years of expertise in affordable housing and Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). She has extensive experience guiding developers and nonprofits through simplified and transparent processes that result in comprehensive lending solutions to support expansion of affordable housing options that meet the unique geographic and socioeconomic challenges.

"Our designated affordable housing team is equipped to offer a simplified lending process and competitive rates," said Jonathan Smith, executive vice president and head of the commercial real estate division at First National Denver. "At First National Denver, we recognize the urgent need for more affordable housing in Denver, and have equipped our team to make decisions quickly so developers can secure the financing they need to expand housing for our community."

First National's commercial real estate division is a highly specialized team of bankers with deep expertise in helping customers optimize their businesses' financial structure. Its focus is high-quality, experienced non-owner occupied real estate projects in Colorado. CRE customers ranging from homebuilders to REITs and now nonprofits can rely on First National's team to provide a simplified lending process with expert tailored guidance and competitive rates.

About First National Denver
First National Denver is a division of First National Bank of Santa Fe. Chartered in 1870 as the first bank in the southwest, First National Bank of Santa Fe has a rich heritage of community commitment and financial strength and stability. With $1.7 billion in assets (as of June 30, 2016) and 20 branch locations in Colorado and New Mexico, First National provides customers with a broad range of commercial lending solutions, treasury management services, and private banking and wealth management services. First National Denver has seven branches in Colorado and offers customized middle-market commercial banking services with core competencies in commercial real estate, commercial healthcare banking, natural foods/goods, asset-based lending and SBA lending. For more information, visit www.firstnationaldenver.com.