*26-year-old Shant Samuelian is building $300M+ in large-family affordable housing projects across Los Angeles through Samuelian Group.*In this episode of No Vacancy, Taylor Avakian sits down with the founder and CEO of Samuelian Group to unpack how a USC real estate development graduate moved from market-rate multifamily into LIHTC-driven affordable housing, why he focuses on 2- and 3-bedroom family units with parking instead of studios, and what it actually takes to win tax credits, raise equity, permit, and deliver projects in one of the country’s most complex markets.They cover the realities of 4% and 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, project scoring and readiness deadlines, JV structures with nonprofits, the capital stack, how developers get paid through fees and long-term economics, CRA-driven tax credit investors, recent federal and California policy shifts, and the day-to-day problem-solving required on the ground. Samuelian also shares lessons on data-driven decision making, building a lean team that leverages AI for operational efficiency, and the long-term mission of adding quality supply in high-resource areas. Sponsor - Real Property CaptiveThis episode is sponsored by Real Property Captive, insurance for owners, by owners. RPC members own equity in their insurance company, buy reinsurance at bulk rates, keep unused premium, and cut property insurance rates by up to 35%. Captives insure roughly 90% of the Fortune 500 & the largest institutional real estate owners. Learn more at https://www.rpcaptive.com/?utm_source=novacancy&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=novacancy-2026-07.Sponsor - Loan TitanAchieve your real estate goals through tailored financing solutions withhttps://loantitan.com/ *Chapters*0:00 – Intro and Shant’s background 1:56 – Path into affordable housing and leaving a large developer 5:54 – Preparing to launch Samuelian Group 7:01 – Thesis: large-family housing vs. studios 9:49 – Early capital, risk, and partners 13:06 – What makes a smart developer 16:05 – How LIHTC (4% and 9% tax credits) works 22:55 – Scoring applications and site selection 27:21 – The readiness deadline and permit scramble 37:05 – Silver Lake project and deal economics 47:07 – Long-term vision and impact 50:01 – How affordable housing developers make money 54:59 – Tax credit investors and CRA needs 57:45 – Policy changes at federal, state, and city levels 1:00:25 – Stress of the first tax credit award 1:02:22 – Advice for aspiring developers 1:04:30 – Using AI on a small team 1:09:41 – What’s next for Samuelian Group Keywords: Shant Samuelian, Samuelian Group, affordable housing, LIHTC, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, 4% tax credits, 9% tax credits, Los Angeles real estate, multifamily development, large family housing, tax credit equity, CRA banking, Silver Lake Flats, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, real estate development, California housing, USC real estate, young developer, housing policySubscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian📈 Connect with me:Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/Email: taylor@thegroupcre.comX: https://x.com/TAYVAY_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/#LosAngeles #podcast #commercialrealestate