Tampa’s housing director is resigning, another setback for Mayor Castor

The city of Tampa’s housing director is resigning, the Tampa Bay Times has confirmed, the latest senior economic development official saying goodbye to Mayor Jane Castor’s administration.

The high-level departures have dealt a setback to a city gripped by steep rents and property prices.

Kayon Henderson has spent more than a decade at the city, climbing the ranks to become a central architect of the mayor’s response to an affordable housing crisis sweeping Tampa and much of the country. Henderson was promoted to the director of housing in May of last year, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“I appreciate the trust and support I received from the mayor and city council that helped us accomplish so much,” she said in a written statement to the Times relayed through a city spokesperson. Her last day is Aug. 23.

Her exit is the latest in a slew of departures that have hollowed out senior leadership in areas of Castor administration’s where the city faces some of its most pressing concerns.

In April, the mayor’s top staffer overseeing economic development, Nicole Travis, announced she would be leaving July 1. Less than two months later, the deputy administrator for development and economic opportunity, Alis Drumgo, handed in his resignation.

Days later, the director of the city’s community redevelopment agency, Erica Moody, announced she would be leaving this summer, too.

“Kayon is a tremendous public servant who worked tirelessly to address our affordable housing challenges and made a real difference to thousands of Tampa residents in need,” Castor said in a statement. “I am so grateful for her service and her positive impact.”

Both Henderson and Castor declined to comment on the reason for Henderson’s departure via city spokesperson Adam Smith.

Henderson joined the city of Tampa in 2013, helping grant money recipients remain in compliance with funding source regulations and their agreements with the city.

From there, she moved on to roles shaping policies and procedures for the city’s housing programs. She led the effort to develop Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS in Tampa, a federally funded program that provides housing assistance and support services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

“Kayon is truly making a difference each and every day,” the mayor said in a city statement announcing Henderson’s promotion to manager of Housing and Community Development in December 2021, a position she’d already been holding in an interim capacity. “We are proud to see her take the reins of one of the most important divisions within city government and are eager to see it flourish under her leadership.”

Originally from Jamaica, Henderson is a graduate of the University of South Florida. She also serves on the board of the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative, the federally funded agency through which Hillsborough County coordinates its efforts to reduce homelessness.

“I truly feel it is my calling to assist those who are unable to sufficiently help themselves,” Henderson said a few years ago. “Rather than a career, this is a calling for me.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.