California Department of Housing and Community Development Director, Gustavo Velasquez, Announced as Keynotespeaker
We are delighted to announce that Gustavo Velasquez, Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development, will be joining us as the keynote speaker for VCCDC’s 4th Annual Leading People Home Awards ceremony. Director Velasquez's extensive experience and dedication to housing policy and community development resonate deeply with our commitment to fostering financial stability and promoting homeownership for low- and moderate-income individuals and families.
In May of 2020, Gustavo Velasquez was appointed Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development by Governor Gavin Newsom. In this leadership role, Velasquez leads California’s housing policy agenda and administers a wide range of programs that produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing and communities of opportunity across the state. Velasquez was a senior director at the Urban Institute, a renowned national research organization working to provide data analysis and insights to policymakers and practitioners in ways both relevant and actionable. Velasquez served for nearly three years as assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He served on behalf of the president as the strategic lead of the fair housing and inclusive community agenda for the Obama administration. During his tenure, HUD achieved groundbreaking enforcement victories in fair lending and in major housing discrimination cases. Velasquez led efforts to promulgate the landmark Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, a key tool for cities, states, and other HUD funding recipients to reduce inequality and disparities in access to opportunity.
We warmly encourage you to join us for this special evening on Thursday, October 10th at Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo, CA where together we can celebrate progress and inspire future endeavors. Together we will honor five important leaders who have inspired our work and five award recipients who are making significant contributions in our community. We will enjoy an evening of delicious food, heartwarming stories and inspirational award presentations. We hope to celebrate with you!