California Construction News staff writer
Tiena Johnson Hall has been appointed as the new general manager of the Los Angeles Housing Department to drive innovation for affordable housing development.
“I believe we can make lasting progress on homelessness and housing insecurity in Los Angeles, and I’m eager to advance her vision as the next Housing Department General Manager,” Johnson Hall said in a statement. “I am honored to have this opportunity and will put my full focus toward challenging the existing system to create more flexibility, more innovation and coordination with the local housing community along with the state and federal government to bring more people inside and help them stay housed for good.”
Currently, Johnson Hall is the executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency where she oversees bond issuance, leverages funding from the private sector and administers funds from the state of California and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to deliver affordable housing for Californians in need.
She was born in Los Angeles and raised her two small children in public affordable housing where issues of public housing quality, preservation and access became personally important for her.
Affordable housing leaders across California are applauding appointment:
“Tiena’s nearly three decades of dedication to affordable housing, from her early days in affordable housing development and community development banking to her leadership of California’s state housing finance agency, have equipped her with the knowledge, experience, and drive to make a transformative impact on our city,” said Robin Hughes, president and CEO of the Housing Partnership Network and formerly president of a Los Angeles based nonprofit affordable housing organization. “Tiena’s rare combination of innovation and collaboration has fueled her success as an affordable housing practitioner for 30 years. Her heart, soul, and tireless commitment to this work make her the ideal leader to address the housing challenges facing our city.
“I have every confidence that under Tiena’s leadership, we will make significant strides in creating a more affordable and equitable Los Angeles for generations to come,’ said Tricia Keane, executive officer of the L.A. Housing Department will serve as interim General Manager during the transition.
Keane is responsible for ensuring efficiency in implementation of programs and administering the accessible housing program to develop affordable housing accessible to persons with disabilities.
Joining the department in 2020, she helped accelerate affordable housing by cutting timelines through Executive Directive 1.