San Diego Housing Commission

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Richard C. Gentry

President & CEO

Richard C. Gentry serves as the president and chief executive of the San Diego Housing Commission. He was hired for the position by the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego, effective Sept. 19, 2008.

Before coming to San Diego, Gentry was Senior Vice President of Asset Management for the National Equity Fund in Chicago, Ill., the nation’s largest non-profit Low Income Housing Tax Credit syndicator.

His career in affordable housing and community redevelopment spans more than 40 years and began at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He also held CEO positions at the Austin (Texas) and Richmond (Va.) housing authorities.

He was also Vice President for Public Housing Initiatives at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Washington, D.C.

Gentry’s accomplishments include restoring the Austin and Richmond Housing Authorities to sound financial footing; helping Standard & Poor’s develop its rating system for housing authorities and providing testimony at congressional hearings on affordable housing issues.

He served as president of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) from 1995-97 and as senior vice president from 1993-95.

Gentry is also a member of the Public Housing Authorities Directors’ Association, the National Housing Conference and the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. He was an active participant in the 2012 Roundtable Discussions held by the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission.

Gentry also sits on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Downtown Partnership and the United Way Home Again Advisory Board.

In October 2008, NAHRO awarded Gentry the John D. Lange Award for his achievements in expanding the organization’s stature and influence internationally. In October 2012 he was accepted into the NAHRO Fellowship Program, which honors members for their commitment to improving the housing conditions of their fellow citizens.

On September 27, 2012, Gentry received proclamations from the San Diego City Council, California State Legislature and U.S. Congress honoring him for his 40 years as an advocate for affordable housing, community redevelopment and assistance to the homeless.

Gentry also was a contributing writer for the book, From Despair to Hope, Hope IV and the New Promise of Public Housing in America’s Cities, which was co-edited by former HUD Secretary Henry G. Cisneros in 2009.

Born in Elkin, N.C., Gentry holds a master’s degree in religion from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in religion from Wake Forest University.