Chicago Housing Department Head, N.Y.C. HDC Chief Elected to NALHFA

WASHINGTON -Ellen Sahli, commissioner of Chicago's Department of Housing, and Marc Jahr, president of the New York City Housing Development Corp., have been elected to the 13-member board of the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies.

The two housing officials were elected by NALHFA's board at the association's Feb. 8 winter meeting.

"They're both very fine people, very professional. We're looking forward to working with them," said NALHFA executive director John C. Murphy.

One seat on the board is still vacant, Murphy said.

Sahli was appointed Chicago Housing Department commissioner by Mayor Richard Daley and confirmed by the city council in January, according to a NALHFA release. She directs the department's operations and activities including its five-year plan, the Chicago Housing Authority's plan, and the city's 10-year plan to end homelessness, a collaborative effort with the Chicago Alliance to End Homeless. She also oversees the Chicago low-income housing fund, which administers the largest locally funded rental subsidy program in the country, according to NALHFA.

Jahr was appointed New York City HDC president by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in December. HDC was the largest tax-exempt multifamily bond issuer in the country in 2004 and 2005, during which it issued $2.65 billion of bonds to preserve 18,500 affordable housing units, NALHFA said.

Since 2002, Jahr has been New York regional director for Citi's Citi Community Capital, where he directed community development real estate lending in New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey, according to NALHFA.

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