AHIF secures over $250 million in total investment capacity through fund equity and access to loan capacity.
John Hope Bryant, Bryant Group Ventures CEO and Operation Hope Founder, Chairman, and CEO, and Joseph Otting, Flagstar Bank President, CEO and Executive Chairman, discuss the launch of the CIM-BGV Affordable Housing Impact Fund.
CIM-BGV Impact Ventures is a strategic partnership between CIM Group and John Hope Bryant, founder of Bryant Group Ventures.1 This partnership combines CIM Group’s vertically integrated expertise in real estate, credit, and infrastructure with John Hope Bryant’s strong track record of business and investment expertise, with a strategic focus on inclusive economic growth and financial empowerment.
The partnership is focused on creating and preserving affordable housing across the U.S. through property acquisition and ground-up development. CIM-BGV Impact Ventures also aims to generate meaningful impact by providing:
“This partnership demonstrates that you can do well by doing good, a philosophy I have lived by for my entire career. I am excited to join with CIM Group in addressing the immense need for affordable housing in the U.S. while supporting the people, small businesses, and communities.”
John Hope Bryant
CEO of Bryant Group Ventures and Operation HOPE
John Hope Bryant is an independent board member of Creative Media & Community Trust (“CMCT”), a publicly traded REIT managed by CIM Group.
As communities across the country grapple with rising inequality and economic uncertainty, the need for innovative, purpose-driven solutions has never been more urgent. Housing, one of the most fundamental human needs, sits at the heart of this challenge. Addressing the housing crisis requires more than policy shifts; it demands bold partnerships that combine financial expertise with a deep commitment to community impact.
The United States is facing a nationwide affordable housing crisis. As housing costs rise and wages lag, long-term housing is becoming out of reach for millions, especially for low-income and underserved populations.
The growing housing disparity presents both a pressing need and a critical opportunity for community-centered housing solutions that deliver measurable community impact alongside stable, long-term financial returns.
CIM-BGV Impact Ventures is a partnership between CIM Group, a real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer; and influential leader and entrepreneur John Hope Bryant of Bryant Group Ventures.
CIM-BGV Impact Ventures is initially focused in affordable housing and preserving existing housing across the U.S., creating value while supporting communities.
The Affordable Housing Impact Fund (AHIF) is a product of the CIM-BGV Impact Ventures partnership. It combines CIM Group’s institutional real estate expertise with John Hope Bryant’s inclusive economic model to deliver both financial returns and transformative community impact.
CIM has a long-standing reputation for revitalizing underserved urban areas through a disciplined community focus. John Hope Bryant has spent over three decades advancing economic justice by mobilizing capital, education, and opportunity for low-to-moderate income communities. The Affordable Housing Impact Fund leverages John Hope Bryant’s relationships and CIM’s national platform to source, structure, and scale high-impact opportunities.
By leveraging the combined expertise of CIM Group and Bryant Group Ventures, AHIF seeks to address the immense need for affordable housing and deliver value to underserved communities.
Generate Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credits for financial institutions under the Investment, Lending, and Service tests
Address the growing need for affordable housing through developing and preserving housing for low- to moderate-income households
Generate meaningful and measurable impact through capital deployment
Deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns
“CIM Group has a longstanding commitment to improving communities, and through our partnership with Bryant Group Ventures we will meet the broader needs of communities. By combining our expertise and John Hope Bryant’s extensive business acumen and pioneering leadership in inclusive economics for underserved communities, we will deliver quality affordable housing and financial literacy programs that empower current and future residents and help build stronger, more resilient communities.”
Avi Shemesh
Co-Founder & Principal, CIM Group
While the Fund seeks to invest in assets and communities designed to maximize the benefits of the Community Reinvestment Act, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objectives.
AHIF supports financial empowerment for residents by partnering with established organizations that have a proven track record of measurable impact.
Operation HOPE’s mission is to make free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved, disrupting poverty for millions of low- and moderate-income youth and adults nationwide. The organization focuses on promoting financial literacy, driving new business formation and growth, and influencing policy that will help achieve financial equity.
Recognized as a 2025 CNBC Disruptor 50, Esusu offers innovative tools to help individuals build credit. The organization focuses on dismantling barriers to housing for working families and making wealth-building accessible.
“Our investment in the CIM-BGV Affordable Housing Impact Fund reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to affordable housing and providing safe, dignified homes for underserved communities. Together, we’re building stronger, more inclusive neighborhoods.”
Raymond Li
Head of Community Impact Capital, Flagstar Bank
“We’re committed to expanding access to affordable housing and economic opportunities in the communities we serve. We’re proud to support partners who share our purpose to drive lasting change through investments that empower individuals and strengthen neighborhoods.”
Kathy Farrell
Head of Truist Asset Finance
Flagstar and Truist are current investors in the CIM-BGV Affordable Housing Impact Fund.
CIM is a real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer founded in 1994. We’re passionate about creating value – for our clients, and for the people in the communities where we work.
For more information on CIM
featuring John Hope Bryant and CIM’s Avi Shemesh
November 2025
November 2025
CIM, Bryant Group Partner on Impact Venture for Affordable Housing
November 2025
CIM, Bryant Group Partner on Impact Venture for Affordable Housing
November 2025
CIM, Bryant Group Partner on Impact Venture for Affordable Housing
’It’s a really solid asset class’: Private capital warms to affordable housing
CIM Group Holds First Close on Debut Impact Fund Focused on US Affordability Crisis
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION November 2025
John Hope Bryant and Centennial Yards Backer Launch Huge Housing Fund
ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE November 2025
CIM Group, John Hope Bryant Partner to Launch Affordable Housing Fund
IREI November 2025
CIM-BGV Impact Ventures Secures More Than $250m in First Closing for Affordable Housing Fund
