Arthur Jemison hired as new head of Detroit Housing Commission

The Detroit Housing Commission (DHC) has named Arthur Jemison as its new executive director.

The public housing authority’s Board of Commissioners announced the hire at a special session on Aug. 2. Irene Tucker, who served as interim CEO, will be the deputy director.

Jemison has 30 years experience in planning, development and affordable housing. Most recently, he was the head of the City of Boston’s Planning and Development Agency. Before that, he spent two years as a secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Development.

He also spent seven years with the City of Detroit , from 2014-2021; his last title was group executive in charge of planning, housing and development. He helped oversee Detroit’s recovery from bankruptcy and helped craft some of Mayor Mike Duggan’s most notable policies, like a $250 million blight remediation bond plan and the Strategic Neighborhood Fund to rebuild commercial corridors.

Jemison acknowledged some of the challenges for the DHC at Friday’s meeting, but also said he’s excited about the opportunity.

“Public housing means an enormous amount to me. Detroit means an enormous amount to me and my family,” he said. “Our ability to do this well, as challenging as it will be, is really the test of what kind of place we want to be. And I want this place to be amazing.”

He also said in a letter to his staff in Boston that he wanted to be closer to his family in Michigan.

The DHC has been looking for a new leader since former CEO Sandra Henriquez suddenly resigned in April.

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Jemison is stepping into an incredibly challenging situation, needing to turn around the badly underperforming commission, despite not having the necessary funding to properly maintain its buildings.

After more than a year of reporting, Outlier found that nearly all its properties received failing grades the last time they were made public, more than 20% of its units are vacant (a number that continues to rise ), its housing voucher program can’t keep up with essential paperwork and many employees are burned out .

The authority is also in the process of a major overhaul of its portfolio. Its 2024 annual report indicated the DHC might convert all its properties to a mixed-finance model instead of one strictly funded by federal grants. The commission is currently working with a private developer on a $200 million project to rebuild a troubled property on the eastside .

Jemison’s three-year contract includes a base salary of $300,000. His first day is Aug. 12.

Arthur Jemison hired as new head of Detroit Housing Commission · Outlier Media