Louisville City Wire

Mayor Greenberg announced today that Elizabeth Strojan has agreed to become the Executive Director of the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. Strojan, a Louisville native and JCPS graduate, is currently the Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President of Administration & External Affairs at the New York City Housing Development Corporation, the nation’s largest municipal Housing Finance Agency.

As part of the NYC HDC executive leadership team, Strojan works to create and preserve affordable housing for New Yorkers. She joined NYC HDC in 2017 after working in the non-profit sector locally in the Bronx and then as part of a national group, Enterprise Community Partners.

“Elizabeth Strojan is a rising star in the nationwide affordable housing industry, and we are incredibly fortunate she has chosen to come home to Louisville and lead LMHA,” said Mayor Greenberg. “Having the right leader at LMHA can make the difference between an organization that misses opportunities and one that innovates. She will bring every possible tool to improving conditions as a landlord, efficiently administering LMHA’s rental assistance, and becoming a key partner to Metro’s broader affordable housing efforts.”

Strojan will officially start her new role in early 2024. She takes over a department that administers nearly 16,000 affordable housing units citywide with more than 250 employees and a nearly $40 million annual operating budget.

“Having a safe, stable home you can afford is truly the foundation for everything in life, and that is why I’ve dedicated my career to bringing quality, affordable housing within reach of more people. I want to thank Mayor Greenberg for trusting me to lead LMHA and bring people together to make the future brighter for its residents,” Strojan said. “I am thrilled to be coming back home to Louisville, and I can’t wait to join the incredible team at LMHA.”

“Elizabeth Strojan has a breadth of experience in housing and a strong track record of leadership, advocacy, and relationship-building that will allow her to hit the ground running in her new role as Executive Director of the Louisville Metro Housing Authority,” said Eric Enderlin, President of the New York City Housing Development Corporation.  “Throughout her career, Elizabeth has been instrumental in advancing both our city and our nation’s affordable and public housing goals, advocating tirelessly for the resources we need at all levels of government to do this critical work.  Having worked closely with Elizabeth for many years, I know firsthand what an effective communicator and innovative leader she is.  LMHA is fortunate to have Elizabeth at the helm.” 

“I first met Elizabeth through our mutual friend, Emily Cadik, CEO of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition in Washington, DC,” said Cathe Dkystra, President & CEO of Family Scholar House. “Through our interactions, I have found Elizabeth to be a strong advocate for quality, affordable housing and the pathways housing provides for individuals and families to improve their quality of life and attain and sustain self-sufficiency. She is a thoughtful community leader who asks good questions and listens to diverse opinions, knowing that this will lead to creative, effective problem solving. I look forward to our community welcoming her, sharing our goals and experiences, and learning from hers.”

“I’m glad to see that there is new leadership with hope that she leads with integrity and passion for the work that is extremely needed to improve LMHA,” said Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins. “I will work with Elizabeth in this new role as this will be no easy task but change is necessary. We had a lengthy conversation of what this position looks like and the energy and motivation it will take to bring LMHA to a healthy and safe program again. It is in her hands, and I trust that she will carry the torch to progress for the community’s and tenants’ best interest. Finally, we must remove any barriers that hinder participants in this program to bring them to success.”

Strojan is also a former United States Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar. She is a graduate of Manual High School, Centre College in Danville, and holds a Master of Arts in Economics and International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University in New York City.

About LMHA
The Louisville Metro Housing Authority (LMHA), formerly known as the Housing Authority of Louisville, is a non-profit agency responsible for the development and management of federally subsidized housing in the Louisville Metro area. In 2003, Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson and the Louisville Metro Council approved the merger of the Housing Authority of Louisville and Housing Authority of Jefferson County, thereby creating the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. The Board of Commissioners was also merged.

The LMHA presently administers over 16,000 units with eligibility determined primarily by federal income guidelines. LMHA has four family housing communities and five housing communities for accessible and senior citizens, and a growing number of scattered site housing. A nine-member Board of Commissioners, appointed by the mayor, serves as the policy making body of the agency.

About Elizabeth Strojan

Elizabeth Strojan has over a decade of experience in leadership positions in affordable housing, both in the government and non-profit sectors. Most recently, she has served as Senior Vice President for Administration and External Affairs & Chief of Staff of the New York City Housing Development Corporation, the nation’s largest municipal housing finance agency. In this role, Elizabeth leads HDC’s Strategic Initiatives, overseeing Communications, Government Affairs, Policy & Analytics, and Human Resources, and works closely with the entire leadership team on agency-wide and interagency priorities. Ms. Strojan joined HDC in 2017 to lead Government Affairs, also advising the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development on federal affairs. Before joining HDC, Ms. Strojan founded the state and local policy program at Enterprise Community Partners and got her start in affordable housing as a Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Fellow at University Neighborhood Housing Program in the Bronx. Elizabeth holds a dual master’s degree in economics and international political economy and development from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Centre College.

Original source can be found here.