Spira is a leading owner, operator, and developer of affordable housing apartment communities across the U.S.
We are a real estate investment firm committed to creating lasting social impact through our investments in affordable housing. With a focus on risk mitigation across our operations, we are an active, long-term owner accustomed to rolling up our sleeves.
Our core operations include acquiring communities with a history of resilient tenants, reinvesting into property-wide capital improvement programs and adding optimal stakeholder value, extending the affordability of our communities and providing on-site tenant services.
As a prudent steward of affordable housing communities across the U.S., our approach to our mandate is underpinned by our triple bottom line approach.
Robert has over twenty years of experience in private equity, investing and accounting. He is involved with all aspects of acquisitions and operations of Spira Equity Partners. Prior to co-founding Spira, Robert was a Vice President with Brookfield Asset Management where he focused on the acquisition of over $10 billion of investments, capital raising, asset management and other strategic initiatives.
Prior to joining Brookfield, Robert was with the Transaction Advisory group with KPMG consulting clients on M&A due diligence for potential acquisitions. Robert is a CFA Charterholder and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA). He received his Bachelor of Commerce from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.
Stephen is an experienced operator and financier with specific expertise in private equity, real estate and investing. Prior to co-founding Spira Equity Partners, Stephen was Co-Founder and Principal for Sierra Point Group (“SPG”). SPG is a U.S. affordable multifamily housing sponsor/developer where he sourced, negotiated, closed, and asset managed projects totaling $72 million across 437 units in California and Washington. Of these projects, SPG successfully rehabilitated their California portfolio utilizing financing from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (“LIHTC”).
Prior to SPG, Stephen was Venture Partner at Vanedge Capital I, LP, a $138 million venture capital fund where he was responsible for fundraising, sourcing investment candidates, due diligence, negotiations and closing transactions. Prior to Vanedge, he was previously General Manager at a 110 full-time employee, luxury 4S automotive retailer where he specialized in maximizing operational efficiencies.
Stephen received his M.B.A. and B.B.A., a Joint Major in Economics and Business, from Simon Fraser University. He is an active and selected Member of the Urban Land Institute Affordable and Workforce Housing Council.
Prior to joining Spira, Vac was a Director in Lazard’s Investment Banking group, where he advised corporate and financial sponsor clients on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and capital markets transactions, with a focus on North America. Earlier in his career, he held investment banking positions at Canaccord Genuity.
Vac holds a Master of Financial Economics from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University.
