Philadelphia Housing Authority Interim Executive director made permanent
Kelvin A. Jeremiah to serve as President & CEO
After a region-wide search, Kelvin A. Jeremiah, a 13-year housing veteran, has been selected to be the President & CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Effective immediately, Mr. Jeremiah will continue in his role overseeing the day-to day operations at the 4th largest housing authority in the country. He will also serve as the Administrative Receiver until the new nine member board begins as early as next month.
“Kelvin’s passion, integrity and commitment make him the best person to continue to move PHA forward,” said Estelle Richman, PHA’s Board of Commissioner. “I am confident that this decision is not just good for the agency, but also for the City of Philadelphia.
We believe this is a major step for PHA to return to local control.”
Mayor Michael A. Nutter said, “In the short time that Kelvin Jeremiah has been with PHA, he has been an outstanding leader for the authority. He helped restore ethics, integrity and pride in working at PHA. With his staff, he’s developed a plan to build 6,000 affordable housing units over the next five years and he’s working to create good relations with other city agencies involved in coordinating affordable housing policy. I am very pleased with his selection as President and CEO and I look forward to working with him.”
Mr. Jeremiah joined PHA in 2011 and previously held the position of Director for the Office of Audit and Compliance (formerly the Office of the Inspector General). In nine months as Interim Executive Director, Mr. Jeremiah has achieved the following:
• Authorized the Philadelphia Housing Authority Police Department (PHAPD) to hire new police officers for the first time in 12 years to address safety and security issues raised by PHA residents.
• Created over 200 in-house jobs with benefits, saving the agency nearly $10 million dollars a year.
• Committed to rebuilding the PHA housing stock by 6,000 units in five years.
“I am thrilled to be remaining at PHA and working with Mayor Nutter, the City Council, the Board, residents and the resilient staff of PHA in meeting the needs of the nearly 80,000 Philadelphians we serve,” said Mr. Jeremiah. “I am excited about PHA’’s future and the important work that lies ahead in rebuilding public confidence in PHA and helping the agency to meet its mission of providing decent, safe and well-maintained housing for residents of this great City.”
Prior to joining PHA, Mr. Jeremiah was the Inspector General for the New York City Housing Authority, the nation’s largest public housing authority with a portfolio of 178,000 units housing over 450,000 residents, and a Housing Choice Voucher program with nearly 100,000 participating families.
Born in Grenada, Mr. Jeremiah immigrated to the United States as a teenager and lived with his family in New York City, attending New York City Public Schools. He received a Bachelor’s degree in History/Business Administration from Pace University, a Master of Arts in American Social History from Rutgers University, and a Master of Public Administration from American International College. Mr. Jeremiah is a Certified Public Purchasing Official, a Certified Public Housing Management Specialist, and is a member of the Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity Oversight Board.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the nation’s 4th largest housing authority, serving nearly 80,000 rental residents. PHA is also a major real estate developer. See more at www.pha.phila.gov.
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