John Rebchook is a former Rocky Mountain News reporter with more than 30 years of experience in writing and communications...
Rick Garcia is the leading contender as the HUD Region VIII executive director, according to sources.
Denver City Councilman Rick Garcia has emerged as the leading contender to be named as the director for Region VIII of HUD, sources tell InsideRealEstateNews.com.
Developers, politicians and other observers have been saying behind-the scenes since at least last October that Garcia was the front-runner for the position, which has been vacant for more than a year. Former executive director John Carson resigned after Barack Obama was elected President. In addition to Colorado, Region VIII includes Montana, North and South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
Garcia, elected to serve District 1 in northwest Denver in 2003, is favored because of his experience in not only housing, but transportation and planning. As a councilman, he created a foreclosure task force and has worked on housing issues, such as downsizing.
Separately, he also has also served on the RTD board and the Denver Regional Council of Government’s board. Garcia attended an affordable housing conference last October in Breckenridge, in which Ron Sims, the deputy director of HUD, said that the “silos” are coming down that traditionally have separated things such as housing, transportation, and the environment. During the Housing Colorado NOW! conference, several developers and affordable housing advocates said that it sounded as if Sims were describing Garcia, because of his wide-range of experience.
“I can’t imagine anybody more qualified for the position,” said one well-known Denver developer.
Another official said that he expected Garcia to be named as the region director by December. However, no regional directors for HUD have yet to be named by Obama.
It has taken so long to name regional directors that some observers speculate that the Obama Administration may do away with them as a cost-saving measure. Garcia, however, said he doubts that will happen.
“What I know is that I continue to be in contention,” Garcia told me recently.
I told him that sources say he is the front-runner to be named executive director of HUD’s Region VIII.
“I have heard that, too,” Garcia replied. “But it is not a deal until they offer it.”
Garcia said that he did not think HUD’s regional directors would be eliminated, because they are too important.
“I think what HUD does, and its resources, are too vital to the importance of the national housing and economic recovery to eliminate those positions,” Garcia said. “You really need someone there, such as in Region VIII, to pay attention to the production and economic development and the housing and development community that uses things such as block grants.”
He agreed with the assessment of many observers that his background provides a wide-range strengths he could bring to the position.
“I think one of the main reasons I expressed interest some time ago, is because the way the Obama administration has aggressively looked to align the housing policies with transportation, and other policies such as energy and sustainability,” Garcia said. “The different disciplines can work together and get rid of this so-called “silo” mentality. ”
He said what he has learned as a City Council member, as well as serving on the RTD and DRCOG boards, allows him to bring housing, transportation, and land-use issues together. He said that “just left” the DRCOG board this month, after serving on it for six years.
Others who have showed interest in the position include Erin Toll, director of the Colorado Real Estate Division; Cynthia Jones, former agency counsel at the Denver Housing Authority; Deborah Ortega, head of the Council to End Homelessness; and Jack Quinn, executive director of the Pueblo Housing Authority.
Contact John Rebchook at JRCHOOK@gmail.com or 303-945-6865.
[...] InsideRealEstateNews.com was the first publication to report that Garcia was likely to be named as the HUD regional director. (For the previous blog, please go to this link.) [...]