NYC Housing Partnership Selects Molly Wasow Park as CEO

The board of New York City’s Housing Partnership Development Corporation, or NYC Housing Partnership, has tapped Molly Wasow Park as its new CEO, according to a Monday announcement. 

Wasow Park will lead the nonprofit in its efforts to create and preserve affordable housing citywide via public-private partnerships. The Housing Partnership has facilitated over 100,000 new or preserved affordable units in New York City, leveraging more than $11.1 billion in private financing and more than $550 million in affordable housing subsidies.

Wasow Park will start her new role July 13, according to a spokesperson. She will take the reins from Jamie Smarr, who has held the dual roles of CEO and president at the nonprofit since 2022.

“I’m excited to take on this new role and to build on the Partnership’s strong history in New York City’s affordable housing sector,” Wasow Park said in a statement. “In this moment, when both affordable buildings and the tenants who live in them are struggling, the Partnership plays a key role in implementing innovative solutions that make housing more sustainable for landlords, tenants and communities. I look forward to leading this effort.”

Wasow Park was most recently the commissioner of the city’s Department of Social Services, where she led the nation’s largest municipal social service agency from 2023 to February of this year, according to her LinkedIn page. Other prior roles include first deputy commissioner at the Department of Homeless Services and senior positions at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Wasow Park is also a visiting policy fellow at New York University’s Furman Center, the school’s real estate and urban policy research center.

“Her unique background and expertise combine a deep knowledge of the realities of affordable multifamily residential development and preservation in New York City along with a responsiveness to social needs,” Ronald Moelis, chairman of the nonprofit’s board of directors, said in a statement. “This enables the Housing Partnership to broaden our range of services while maintaining our leadership in forming productive partnerships among city, state and federal agencies and private sector property owners, developers and financial institutions.”

While Wasow Park prepares for her new role, Smarr will continue to serve as the Partnership’s president to support the executive transition through the end of 2026, according to the announcement. Smarr said in a statement that he is proud of his work building upon the organization’s 43-year history. 

“Jamie Smarr has led the Housing Partnership through a challenging period for the affordable housing community, expanding into new lines of business as we strive to alleviate housing insecurity for New Yorkers,” said Moelis.

NYC’s Department of Social Services did respond to a request for comment.

Emily Davis can be reached at edavis@commercialobserver.com.