There's a new chief housing officer in town. Her name is Laura Brudzynski and her work starts on Feb. 2. She will succeed Britta Fisher, who stepped down from the role in Denver's Department of Housing Stability to lead the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
Brudzynski has worked with the city for nearly a decade and has experience working on the legislative and executive branches of the government, according to a news release from the mayor's office Wednesday.
She's worked with the office since its inception in 2019, and before that she worked with the city's Office of Economic Development as its director of housing policy. She also helped create — and then double — the local housing fund, which now stands at $30 million.
“Housing affordability is one of the most pressing issues facing our residents, and it’s an honor to step into this role and continue to build on the critical foundation that Britta started as the city’s first Chief Housing Officer,” Brudzynski said in the release. “I’m excited for the opportunity to keep moving the work of this agency forward with our partners and a committed team at the Department of Housing Stability."
In her new role as chief housing officer, Brudzynski will oversee the Hancock Administration's efforts to provide housing to the homeless population in the city. This will take investing resources, policy decisions and business partnerships to keep people in homes, according to the release.
Since taking office in 2011, Hancock's office has helped rehouse more than 14,000 homeless people, created or preserved 10,000 affordable homes and expanded the shelter system to operate year-round, according to the release.
“Laura’s been an integral part of that success," Hancock said in the release. "Laura has been a driving force in our efforts to house every Denver resident, and deeply understands the innovative new path we’re charting for housing and supportive services in our community."
