Chris Paul

Christine (Chris) Paul, Esq., became President and Principal at Diamond and Associates on March 1, 2023. Chris knows that quality affordable housing is a right for all and has worked tirelessly since 1999 to support the development of it. She is excited to be leading Diamond and Associates since the retirement of its founder, Roy Diamond. 

Chris joined Diamond and Associates in 2014, where she has advised for-profit and nonprofit developers. Her LIHTC transactions have ranged in size from $9 to $50 million, with 31 to 225 units, and have included 9% transactions and tax-exempt bond transactions with 4% LIHTC. She has also worked on owner-occupied projects. She has successfully secured multiple Affordable Housing Program funding awards from various Federal Home Loan Banks to assist in bringing various projects to fruition. Chris played a pivotal role in expanding Diamond’s footprint, securing funding for and closing Diamond’s first 9% development in Delaware and working with developers on projects in NY state. 

Prior to joining Diamond, Chris worked for Wells Fargo Bank’s Community Lending and Investment division, working with the construction debt platform for LIHTC transactions as well as assisting with restructuring workout transactions.  While at Wells Fargo, she closed deals in multiple jurisdictions, including New York City, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. The loan facilities she originated ranged from $4MM to $30MM in size and included construction loans for 9% LIHTC deals, letters of credit to credit enhance bond issuances in 4% LIHTC deals, private placement bond purchases in 4% LIHTC deals, a New Market Tax Credit (“NMTC”) origination and the refinancing of an NMTC facility. 

Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Chris was Real Estate Development Coordinator and In-House Counsel at the Women's Community Revitalization Project.   Her deals at WCRP ranged in size from 25-77 units, with project budgets in the $10-$15MM range.  She supervised the facilities development consulting staff who provided technical assistance on projects ranging in size from $1M to $3MM, developing childcare and other community facilities. 

Chris also served as Vice President for Legal Services at Friends Rehabilitation Program, Inc. where she worked on LIHTC and homeownership development projects, ranging in size from 10 units to 90 units with project budgets in the $2.5-$18MM range. Prior to Friends Rehabilitation Program, Inc., she served as a Clinical Instructor and Director of the Temple University Beasley School of Law Center for Community Nonprofit Organizations and she started her affordable housing and community development career as a Staff Attorney for Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS), on whose board she now serves as President.

She earned her BA at Georgetown University and her MA and JD at Temple University.  She maintains her license to practice law in Pennsylvania and works occasionally on pro bono cases for Philly VIP. She was Chair of the Real Property Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association in 2009 and on its Executive Committee from 2003-2010. She currently serves as President of the board of Regional Housing Legal Services and serves on the boards of Pensdale I and II. She helped to launch a PA chapter of Women in Housing and Finance and was co-chair of the Steering Committee through 2019 and a Steering Committee member until 2022. Chris grew up in a Philly suburb and has spent her adult life living and working in Philadelphia, including in services for the unhoused, prior to and during law school.