New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has picked Maria Torres-Springer as Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development.
Torres-Springer will take office on Feb. 6 when HPD's current commissioner Vicki Been returns to teaching at New York University, the mayor's office announced on Tuesday. Separately, de Blasio appointed James Patchett as President and CEO of the NYC Economic Development Corp.
Torres-Springer was formerly president of NYC EDC and before that she was commissioner of Small Business Services. She has also served as a senior policy advisor at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding. She received her bachelor's degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University and a master's in public policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
"Having grown up in Section 8 housing, I know first-hand that the work we do is a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of families," Torres-Springer said in a press release. "Housing is the top expense for New Yorkers and for far too many, rising rents threaten their ability to stay in the city they love."
Patchett is Chief of Staff to the New York City Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development and serves as an advisor to the mayor. Before joining the mayor's office, he worked as a Vice President in the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs and previously at NERA Economic Consultants. He has a B.A. in Economics from Amherst College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
"I am honored to serve as the new head of NYCEDC. With the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Maria, and all of our partners inside and outside of government, we will continue to make our city a 21st Century capital of commerce, culture and innovation," Patchett said.
"As progressive thinkers and proven deal makers, Maria and James have worked closely with me to advance our most important initiatives," de Blasio said. "Together, we will continue to build on the successes our first three years, and make this city fairer and more affordable for everyone."
Last week, the mayor announced that under Been's leadership the city has created affordable housing at a rate not seen since 1989.
"With her signature brand of grit and grace, Vicki created and implemented our ambitious affordable housing plan," said de Blasio. "She is a brilliant public servant and law professor, and her students are lucky to have her back."
Been said she was proud to have worked at HPD.
"We've financed 62,506 affordable residences, including the highest three years of new construction in the city's history," Been said. "We've changed the way we work to ensure that we achieve more affordable housing for every public dollar spent, and that our housing reaches the New Yorkers who need it most."
The moves mark the latest changes in the city's senior housing staff. Earlier this month, Marisa Lago replaced Carl Weisbrod as Director of the Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission.
