Eli Weiss // Joy Construction

Born in South Brooklyn, Eli was raised in a neighborhood predominantly populated by European Jews, many of them Holocaust survivors. He recalls feeling like an outsider to American society, saying, “We always felt like immigrants, like we didn’t fully belong.” This sense of displacement became a driving force, propelling him toward what he saw as quintessentially American fields: government and law.
His academic journey reflects this ambition. Weiss graduated from Yeshiva University with a BS in finance, earned an MS in real estate development from New York University, and completed his JD at Seton Hall School of Law—where he wrote his thesis for current Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito. He would go on to serve as an adjunct professor at NYU and a trustee of New York’s Landmarks Conservancy.
Early in his career, Weiss worked as a senior project manager at the New York City Housing Development Corporation, the nation’s largest housing bond issuer. During his tenure, the agency issued $3.3 billion in taxable and tax-exempt bonds for affordable housing projects in New York City.
It was here he met two Israeli immigrants who challenged him to consider building for himself rather than others. Despite initially being content in his dream job with Mayor Bloomberg, the impending arrival of his first child prompted a career-changing decision. He partnered with these colleagues, and joined Joy Construction.
Today, Weiss oversees the development process and financial structuring for multifamily, commercial and hospitality assets. His portfolio is impressive: over 6,000 multifamily units, including The Mantena in Hudson Yards (sold to Equity Residential for $84 million) and The Nathaniel in the East Village (sold to Wafra Investment Advisory for $98.25 million).
Weiss has also overseen the acquisition and development of projects that have been leased to healthcare institutions, such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, Montefiore Hospital, and Hospital For Special Surgery, as well as hotel assets currently operated under the Marriott and Intercontinental flags and the 60 Collective. In addition, he serves on the board of trustees of The Furman Center at NYU, the NY Housing Conference, and the NY State Association for Affordable Housing.

People don’t realize how many niches there are when it comes to real estate investments.
That’s absolutely right. I spend most of my time in the pretty niche business of affordable housing. I’m 47 now and have been working in this sector for about 25 years—since I was in my early 20s.

There’s a question every professional in any business is asked: What drew you to this particular field? Especially in real estate, why would someone choose affordable housing over other, more lucrative development and investment opportunities?
The truth is, you only truly understand your path when you look back. In the moment, when you’re making decisions both small and large, you can’t always see how they’ll shape your ultimate trajectory.
Let’s take a step back. All four of my grandparents were Holocaust survivors. My father was born here, his parents having arrived in America from a DP camp in Germany just a few months before he was born. My mother was not born here. Her family had also spent some time in a DP camp in Czechoslovakia before moving to Israel shortly before independence. My maternal grandfather fought in the Israeli War of Independence. Having lost half his family during the Holocaust and with two sisters living in Australia, he eventually moved there. My mother grew up in Australia before her family immigrated to America in the 1960s.
I grew up in South Brooklyn, in a neighborhood where most people I knew—both in the community and my shul—were either from Europe or survivors themselves.
Growing up, I always felt like an outsider, like an immigrant. This first-generation experience deeply shaped my understanding of being American. To me, the most defining aspects of America were government and law. Early in my career, I reflected this by attending law school and becoming an attorney. I then went to work for the city of New York, where—due to my background in business and real estate—I was assigned to housing policy and housing finance.
So it all really started with a desire to “fit in.” I saw my friends whose parents and grandparents were American, they joined Little League; they were regular Americans. In my neighborhood, those things didn’t happen.
I developed a strong desire to integrate, to be part of New York and American business culture.