Departed PHA head takes new job at DC housing agency

Michael P. Kelly sure moves quickly.  Kelly stepped down Friday as executive director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, citing "personal family reasons" that he did not elaborate on.  Now he has been nominated to head the Washington, D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development.

DC Mayor Vincent Gray issued an announcement today that he tapped Kelly for the job.  You can read Gray's news release after the jump.  Kelly has worked in housing agencies in San Francisco, New Orleans, DC and New York City.  His wife still lives in DC.

Mayor Gray Nominates Michael Kelly to Serve as Director of Department of Housing and Community Development

Current DHCD Director John Hall to Focus on Housing Policy in Deputy Mayor's Office

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – In an effort to sharpen his administration's focus on the District's need for affordable housing, Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced that he had tapped veteran national housing leader Michael Kelly to direct the District's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and would move current DHCD Director John Hall to a newly created position as Senior Advisor for Housing to the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED).

"Affordable housing is an issue of utmost importance to a large percentage of District residents, and addressing that issue is a priority for my administration," Mayor Gray said. "With the team of Michael Kelly and John Hall in place, we will be better equipped to tackle this complex challenge."

Michael Kelly has decades of experience in urban housing agencies, including service as Director of the D.C. Housing Authority from 2000 to 2009. Most recently, he has served as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, serving at the request of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) while the agency was in administrative receivership and instituting major reforms. He previously served as General Manager of the New York City Housing Authority, the nation's largest such agency, and has directed housing agencies in San Francisco and New Orleans as well. Kelly holds a bachelor's degree in architecture and urban planning from Princeton University, a master's degree in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in education, also from UC-Berkeley. Kelly, a licensed architect and urban planner, holds a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. He lives in Ward 4.

John Hall moves to DMPED after having served as DHCD director since April of 2011. Previously, he served as HUD's Field Office Director in Richmond, Va., and the District. In that role, his responsibilities included the administration of HUD programs throughout Virginia and the District, establishing effective networks with local community groups and public and elected officials. Prior to joining HUD, Hall worked as the Executive Director of the North and East Lubbock Community Development Corporation in Lubbock, Texas. In this role, he leveraged federal and local resources to spur growth in a state-designated enterprise zone and developed and delivered financial and homeownership training which led to families owning homes. Hall received his M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Public Affairs in Syracuse, N.Y. He is a Ward 6 resident.

"We want to increase the capacity of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to focus on affordable housing policy, and John will help lead the effort to coordinate, develop and eventually implement the 5-year plan that will emerge from the efforts of the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Strategy Task Force I recently re-established," Mayor Gray said. "We are excited about the knowledge and experience in affordable housing that John brings to this effort, and we are looking forward to all the progress we know he will make."

In his new role, Hall will help establish a system for collecting, analyzing and tracking affordable housing production – the No. 1 recommendation of the Brookings Institution report on affordable housing in the District. He will also review the financial model of the New Communities program to ensure District investment is most effectively leveraged to generate the greatest number of affordable housing units.

"One of the most important issues we work on at DMPED is affordable housing", said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor L. Hoskins. "John Hall brings great perspective to assist our office with these efforts."