Housing authority shores up staff

Dec. 2—The Northwest Oregon Housing Authority has added three key staffing positions to help move the agency forward.

During a board meeting Thursday, Elissa Gertler, the housing authority's executive director, introduced a new property and resident services manager and operational consultant. A new deputy executive director is expected to start in January.

The agency, which provides critical low-income housing assistance in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties, is rebuilding staff after years of crisis management. The lack of housing options across income levels is the most pressing public policy challenge on the North Coast.

Gertler, who took over in July, is helping the housing authority turn the corner. The agency has also contracted services with Quadel, a Washington, D.C., based management and consulting firm, since 2020.

The property manager position was expanded to include resident services, which the agency hopes will increase attention to tenants.

Gertler said James Filipi, who started last month, will also work to fill vacant units in some of the agency's properties, some of which have been vacant for years.

Tom Rinehart, the owner of Rinehart Strategies, a consulting firm, will assess the agency's operational needs, which is expected to inform the housing authority's budget next spring.

Rinehart, who has 25 years of experience leading organizations, has held top state and local government positions in Oregon, most recently as Portland's chief administrative officer.

"As the organization went through transition, not only did we transition people, but we transitioned our systems, our infrastructure," Gertler told the board. "And we are in a place where we need to rebuild infrastructure, we need to rebuild our systems. And Tom has a great background in sort of public agency administration and management at a high level and is our consultant who's going to help us rebuild our systems and structures."

Rinehart told the board he felt encouraged by the commitment to the organization.

"I'm going to give it my all. I really believe in what Elissa and this board is trying to do," he said. "And I am going to work very hard to provide value for this organization."

Gertler said she also recently signed a contract with a new deputy executive director who will begin in early January.

She said she expects the new position to bring significant capacity around managing ongoing and new housing developments.

The board was encouraged by the new additions.

"I just want to say I think it's really exciting that we're bringing some support on and that NOHA's going in the right direction here," Nina Reed, the board's chairwoman, said.