New CHA Acting Chief Eugene Jones speaks to CAA board

Eugene Jones, Jr., Acting CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority, met with the CAA Board last week and described his goals and objectives for the agency. Mr. Jones has experience leading other public housing authorities around the country. He is working to develop a strategic plan for the CHA, improving workforce morale and performance, and building 2,000 more CHA units by 2017. Mr. Jones wants to transform the attitude about public housing among its residents from "entitlement" to "transitional housing," which was the original intent of the program. He agreed to CAA's suggestion about developing ongoing dialogue with CHA staff via roundtable discussions about how the housing choice voucher program can be improved to get more private sector participation. Mr. Jones is interested in partnering with the business community to build support for public and assisted housing, and will be conducting CHA "open houses" for developers and the general public. CAA is committed to working with Mr. Jones to improve the programs and initiatives of the CHA.