CHPC Welcomes New Executive Director, Howard Slatkin

Today, Citizens Housing & Planning Council (CHPC) announced Howard Slatkin as the new Executive Director of the independent research and education nonprofit dedicated to addressing the city’s housing and planning needs.

“We are facing a pivotal moment in New York City,” said Howard Slatkin, Incoming Executive Director of Citizens Housing & Planning Council. “The dire trajectory of our housing crisis creates an opportunity and the necessity for bold action, built on creative thinking and clear-eyed analysis. I couldn’t be more excited in this moment to join Citizens Housing & Planning Council, an institution committed to advancing innovative and practical public policy solutions for New York City’s housing challenges.”

Slatkin brings to CHPC over two decades of experience at the intersection of housing and planning. He currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director for Strategic Planning at the Department of City Planning, where he oversees long-term planning, policy development and citywide land use initiatives. Slatkin has led numerous citywide zoning initiatives that promote housing supply, affordability and sustainability, as well as neighborhood planning initiatives that have produced tens of thousands of units of mixed-income housing. As the first Director of Sustainability for City Planning, Slatkin led the award-winning Zone Green initiative, a set of zoning and legislative changes to promote green buildings.

Slatkin will assume the role of Executive Director of CHPC in January 2023. He will step into the role following the stewardship of interim Executive Director Sarah Watson, a housing professional who has built a diverse and unique career in housing policy in a wide variety of housing roles in both London and New York, and former Executive Director Jessica Katz, who now serves as Chief Housing Officer of the City of New York.

“For 85 years, CHPC has been committed to tactical research, thoughtful policy development and pushing boundaries to address New York City’s planning and neighborhood needs,” said Sarah Watson, Interim Executive Director, Citizens Housing & Planning Council. “Howard’s depth of technical knowledge and big-picture insight into housing policy, planning, zoning and land use review processes is unparalleled. There is a lot of work ahead of us and I look forward to facing it head on together. We are so excited to leverage his expertise and continue CHPC’s legacy of delivering solutions to complex housing problems for the long-term future of the city.”

“New York City is facing a desperate affordability and housing crisis, resulting from decades of supply shortage, political inertia and a fragmented public debate,” said Richard Roberts, Board Chair of CHPC and Principal and Managing Director, Red Stone Equity Partners. “There has never been a more important moment for Howard – a renowned expert and champion for planning and housing in New York City – to take the helm of CHPC, one of the most influential housing think tanks in the city. We are thrilled to enter this next chapter and instill real change.”