Jersey City Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Selects Jersey City Resident and Public Housing Professional As Executive Director Aligning With Mayor Fulop’s Goal to Provide More Quality Affordable Housing Opportunities Throughout City Executive Director Has Held Leadership Positions at Three of Nation’s Largest Housing Authorities JERSEY CITY - Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced today that the Board of Commissioners of the Jersey City Housing Authority has selected its preferred candidate for the position of executive director – Marvin Walton, a Jersey City resident and public housing professional with 13 years of leadership experience at three of the nation’s largest housing authorities. Mr. Walton’s selection for the role of executive director of the Housing Authority aligns with Mayor Fulop’s goal of creating more quality, affordable housing opportunities for residents throughout Jersey City. Since taking office, Mayor Fulop has placed an emphasis on building affordable housing in all wards, establishing Jersey City’s first Affordable Housing Trust Fund policy that sets a criteria for and incentivizes the development of affordable housing throughout Jersey City, particularly in areas where affordable housing has been under developed. “The selection of Marvin Walton speaks to the talent we are bringing to Jersey City government as we focus on building communities and creating greater opportunities for all of our residents,” said Mayor Fulop. “The Jersey City Housing Authority has been a tremendous partner in restoring neighborhoods in Jersey City and providing access to quality affordable and public housing in all areas. With Marvin at the helm, we will be able to advance our goal of creating more affordable housing throughout the city.” For the past six years, Mr. Walton has served in leadership roles at the Newark Housing Authority, the largest housing authority in New Jersey and the eleventh largest in the nation, with a portfolio of 44 public housing communities and a total of over 8,000 rental units. He has served as the Deputy Executive Director for the past four years and previously served as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to his tenure in Newark, Mr. Walton served as the Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff of the Housing Authority of the County of Cook, the second largest housing authority in the state of Illinois, which serves over 15,000 families. He also served as the Chief Information Officer and Budget Director for the Chicago Housing Authority, the third-largest housing authority in the nation, serving more than 20,000 families on a $1 billion budget. The decision marks the commencement of the contract negotiation process, which is subject to state and federal requirements. The selection of Mr. Walton was made after a thorough national search process, following the appointment of the agency’s former executive director, Maria Maio, by the Obama Administration to lead the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Field Office in Newark. “I am most grateful for being considered for this opportunity to serve the people of Jersey City, the City in which I reside, and to be a part of one of the most dynamic and exciting communities in the nation,” said Mr. Walton. “The Jersey City Housing Authority is quickly becoming a national model for public housing.” About the Jersey City Housing Authority: The Jersey City Housing Authority is New Jersey’s second largest public housing authority, serving approximately 6,500 low-income households and over 16,000 residents, including seniors and the disabled. The JCHA has been lauded as a champion of quality life enhancements and crime reduction initiatives, energy efficiency and green building practices, policies promoting Section 3 hiring, and an impeccable track record of revitalizing distressed public housing. In addition, for the last six consecutive years after implementing several reforms to ensure the success of its Section 8/Housing Choice Vouchers program, the JCHA notched the six highest HUD SEMAP performance scores in the agency’s history and in four of those years, the highest score in the state among similarly-sized municipal public housing authorities. A leader in the provision of low-income housing and services, the JCHA’s sterling history of revitalizing distressed neighborhoods has included the receipt of three federal HOPE VI Revitalization Grants, which have transformed blighted barracks-style and high-rise “vertical concentrations of poverty” at Curries Woods, Lafayette Gardens, and A. Harry Moore Apartments into energy-efficient, privately managed, architecturally distinguished mixed-income communities, providing social and supportive services and attracting low, moderate, and market-rate residents. Through HOPE VI, the JCHA has created over 1,040 new mixed-income rental units. All media inquiries should be directed to Jennifer Morrill, Press Secretary to Mayor Steven M. Fulop at 201-547-4836 or 201-376-0699. ////
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 20:23:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015