The Housing Opportunity Commission (HOC) of Montgomery County is excited to announce the appointment of Chelsea Andrews, a resident of the County, to become our Executive Director. Ms. Andrews will assume her new role on July 11, 2022.
She has multiple years of demonstrated exemplary leadership experience and expertise in directing large scale housing organizations in the public and non-profit sectors. Roy Priest, Chair of the Board commented, “We look forward to working with her to build upon our current successes in the production and preservation of affordable housing, expanding our capacity and service delivery efforts to our residents and strengthening our engagements with our community housing partners, business associates and public officials. Chelsea’s selection marks the beginning of a new era for HOC’s visioning and building financial and community programs that will lead to the creation of new affordable housing and service opportunities for the residents of the County who struggle daily to stabilize their families in this volatile economic environment “
Ms. Andrews was selected from a pool of over a dozen candidates in a nationwide search conducted by the Board of Commissioners during the past year. She brings to her new role experience leading agencies in both affordable housing and homeless sectors, with the reputation of being a bridge builder and community transformer. Currently Ms. Andrews is the Interim Executive Director of EveryOne Home, a HUD designated Continuum of Care organization in the San Francisco area, bringing together stakeholders representing Alameda County and 14 cities including Oakland and Berkeley to end homelessness for nearly 10,000 individuals.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Andrews served in a progression of management roles over eight years culminating in being appointed as the Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the District of Columbia Housing Authority, with a portfolio of 8,500 public housing units, 13,000 vouchers, budget of $400M+ and approximately 900 staff and 40,000 clients. She is an advocate for ending homelessness, preserving and creating affordable housing, promoting social justice and strengthening communities. She has worked for several Fortune 500 companies and served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, MD.
Beyond her primary professional roles, Ms. Andrews was appointed to the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee by the Montgomery County Executive in 2018. She was subsequently reappointed by County Executive Elrich and was elected Chair for the 2020-2021 term by the Committee.
She is a member of the National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) and served as an At-Large member on the Executive Board for the Mid-Atlantic Region Council and the Bylaws Committee. She was the Co-Founder of a Housing Equity Task Force advocating for policy reform to address the impact of systemic and structural racial segregation in housing.
Ms. Andrews created and teaches a course on the Impact of Housing Segregation on the Black Community as an Adjunct Lecturer for the University of Maryland College Park School of Policy.
Ms. Andrews attended Florida A & M University, earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration, and earned a Juris Doctorate degree from The George Washington University Law School. She is admitted to practice in the Maryland State Bar, District of Columbia Bar, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and enjoys spending time with her daughter, and volunteering in her hometown of Wheaton, Maryland.
