Santa Clara County Housing Authority Executive Director Sanchez Retires After Nearly 40 Years In Public Service

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara (HACSC), California's second largest public housing authority, announces the retirement of its executive director, Alex Sanchez, effective June 30, 2015.

Sanchez, 68, was appointed HACSC executive director in 2001. He brought to this position nearly 40 years of housing finance, community development and redevelopment expertise. Under his direction, HACSC was the first agency of its type to receive a Standard & Poor's rating of "Strong Performer," the highest designation given to public agencies. In 2007, HACSC was selected by Congress to be in the Moving to Work demonstration program, a designation held by fewer than one percent of housing authorities nationwide.

"Mr. Sanchez has successfully run one of the largest public housing authorities in the nation," says San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. "His esteemed leadership has helped enable our city and county to house more low-income families in spite of years of declining federal and state funding. While Mr. Sanchez will be greatly missed, he is leaving the agency in excellent financial health, and I have no doubt our partnership will continue to find new ways of housing and serving more homeless individuals and low-income families."

"It has been a great privilege to have shared a friendship and working partnership with Alex Sanchez over the years," says Congressman Mike Honda. "I commend him for his 27 years of distinguished service with the City of San Jose Housing Department and the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara. Alex has greatly improved the lives of thousands of people through his lifelong commitment and dedication to providing affordable housing opportunities for Californians. The reach of his legacy has gone even further, as he has also tirelessly advocated for the development and promotion of national housing policies to serve all Americans in need. Long involved with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development policy, Alex's vast industry network has provided the agency with an ability to influence federal housing policy and to advocate on behalf of Santa Clara County's low-income families. I thank him for his years of dedicated service to Silicon Valley."

"Alex Sanchez has contributed mightily to funding the development of affordable homes in Silicon Valley, first as director of housing for the City of San Jose and more recently as head of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara," says Matt Schwartz, president and chief executive officer of the California Housing Partnership Corp., a private nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and expanding the supply of affordable homes for lower-income households throughout California. "He is a major presence in our field and his leadership will be missed."

"Mr. Sanchez's leadership was a driving force behind the miraculous rebirth of East San Jose's Poco Way neighborhood, one of the largest neighborhood redevelopment projects ever undertaken by the City of San Jose," says Magdalena Carrasco, San Jose city councilwoman. "Once a major source of crime and blight in one of the toughest neighborhoods, Poco Way was transformed in the 1980s and 1990s through a well-crafted public-private partnership, enhancing and adding to the quality of life of East San Jose residents. And this year HACSC is embarking on another major renovation of its 130-unit Poco Way Apartments to the tune of $12.1 million."

From 1988 to 2001, Sanchez directed the then newly created Housing Department for the City of San Jose, where he developed one of the most comprehensive and ambitious housing programs in the country. Since 1988, that department has assisted in the development of more than 17,000 housing units and, using local redevelopment funds, provided more than $600 million and leveraged more than $2 billion in private and public capital for the construction or rehabilitation of housing serving low-income families. Prior to that Sanchez was director of housing for the City of Santa Ana and deputy director of the City of Bell Gardens Redevelopment Agency.

In 2014 Sanchez was appointed to and designated chair of the California Housing Partnership Corporation by California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. He also has served in leadership positions on state and national industry organizations including the National Leased Housing Association, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, California Housing Consortium, Housing Leadership Council of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and Silicon Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum. Of his many accolades, Sanchez was a 2007 California Housing Consortium Hall of Fame recipient. Sanchez earned his bachelor's degree from Pomona College.

HACSC's board of commissioners will be announcing an interim executive director appointment at its June 30 regular board meeting.

About HACSC

HACSC is the nation's tenth largest public housing authority and the largest provider of affordable housing assistance in Santa Clara County, helping make rental housing safe and affordable for low-income families through Section 8 voucher programs and below-market rental properties. Designated a Moving to Work agency, HACSC assists approximately 17,000 households through the Section 8 voucher program. For more information about HACSC, visit www.hacsc.org.

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SOURCE Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara

Related Links

http://www.hacsc.org