New Leader Takes Helm at Chicago Housing Authority
Eugene Jones takes the helm at the Chicago Housing Authority as the Acting CEO, replacing Michael Merchant who is leaving the post for other professional opportunities.
“Gene Jones has a proven track record of being a solution driven leader in public housing,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the announcement. “Throughout his 30-year career, Gene has dedicated himself to providing residents’ quality, safe and affordable housing opportunities while building strategic partnerships with community organizations and promoting private sector investment in public housing. His expertise leading public housing authorities across the county is unprecedented and he will be an incredible asset to Chicago.”
Jones is said to have extensive housing and real estate development experience working for public housing authorities in Detroit, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New Orleans and California.
Most recently Jones was the CEO of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the largest social housing provider in Canada and the second largest in North America. In Toronto, Jones was instrumental in executing development of three major housing projects, delivering more than 7,000 affordable housing units.
Jones takes the helm as CHA moves forward with housing development and affordable housing vouchers. By the end of 2015, CHA plans to provide affordable housing vouchers to more than 43,000 families in need, an increase of more than 8,000 since 2011.
The agency is in the midst of multi-phased renovations for Altgeld Gardens and Murray Homes Development on the city’s Far South Side as part of CHA’s plan to invest $240M in 2015 to build affordable housing units across the City on top of the $135M spent last year to develop affordable housing for low-income families and seniors.
According to CHA, a pipeline of development and capital projects will utilize existing reserves and maintain a modest operating reserve for the next two years.
In addition to the work beginning at Altgeld this summer, construction of new housing is currently underway at 5 locations across the city including Parkside development on the near north side, Park Boulevard and Legends South on the State Street Corridor in Bronzeville, the historic Rosenwald in Bronzeville and Casa Queretaro in Pilsen.
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