Sandra B. Henriquez is a distinguished leader with 50 years of experience in housing, real estate, public service, and nonprofit management. Her career spans high-profile leadership roles, strategic policy development, and transformative operational improvements, making her a highly respected executive in her field. She has served as CEO, COO, and Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), playing a pivotal role in advancing affordable housing initiatives, community development, and policy reform across the nation.
Most recently, Sandra served as Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Housing Commission (DHC) for five years, leading the organization through critical transformations before retiring in April 2024. Under her leadership, DHC, with an annual budget of $76 million, provided 8,870 deeply affordable units across metro Detroit, serving approximately 4% of the city’s population. She spearheaded operational efficiency initiatives, implemented performance metrics, overhauled business systems, and introduced advanced technology solutions to enhance service delivery. Additionally, she laid the foundation for repositioning and upgrading DHC’s housing portfolio and facilitated the expansion of affordable housing by project-basing more than 1,000 Housing Choice Vouchers.
Prior to her tenure in Detroit, Sandra was the Chief Operating Officer for Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing critical home repairs for low-income veterans, seniors, and families. She managed the organization’s administrative operations, overseeing finance, human resources, IT, strategic planning, technology, and procurement. Her expertise in process improvement and operational efficiency positioned the organization for long-term success and expanded its ability to serve vulnerable communities.
Sandra’s leadership at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under President Barack Obama marked a defining period in her career. As Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, she was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate and was the first woman to hold this role. She managed a staggering $27 billion budget, overseeing public housing and Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance programs that served over 3.2 million low-income families, seniors, and disabled individuals nationwide. Her scope of responsibility also included programs for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, addressing housing needs for 566 federally recognized tribes.
During her tenure at HUD, Sandra led initiatives that transformed communities by redeveloping distressed neighborhoods, increasing energy-efficient housing units, and expanding affordable housing options in high-opportunity areas. She supervised 1,500 employees across 46 field offices, ensuring regulatory compliance and strategic implementation of HUD’s mission to improve housing access for underserved populations.
Before her national impact at HUD, Sandra spent 13 years as Administrator and CEO of the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), one of the largest public housing agencies in the country. She managed an 850-person workforce, a $280 million budget, and a portfolio of nearly 25,000 housing units serving approximately 65,000 low-income residents—10% of Boston’s population. Sandra was instrumental in redeveloping outdated public housing into thriving mixed-income communities through HUD’s HOPE VI Revitalization program. She introduced green building initiatives, implemented energy-efficient upgrades, and championed innovative housing strategies to support homeless individuals and families.
Sandra’s extensive real estate and public service background also includes leadership roles in private property management and government housing agencies. She worked at a full-service real estate management firm specializing in resident-controlled and nonprofit-sponsored housing and oversaw 50,000 housing units for families, seniors, and disabled individuals at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Housing and Community Development. She also owned and operated SCBH Associates LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that provided strategic planning, public policy, and property management expertise to affordable housing owners.
Beyond her executive roles, Sandra has been an active advocate, mentor, and leader in fair housing and community development. She has served on the boards of YWCA Boston and the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. Her contributions to racial justice and equitable housing policies were recognized by YWCA Boston, which named its racial justice award in her honor. She is also a recipient of the Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award.
With a passion for writing, coaching, and mentoring, Sandra is now seeking to return to board service, where she can leverage her wealth of experience to help organizations stay on track, grow, and thrive. As a leader who listens, processes information effectively, asks the right questions, and adds measurable value, she is committed to giving back and paying it forward. With a career built on integrity, strategic vision, and a dedication to public service, Sandra B. Henriquez remains a trusted authority in housing policy, operations, and redevelopment.
