Matthew Doherty Named Executive Director of U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

Washington – April 16, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez announced today that Matthew Doherty has been named Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH).

“With over 22 years of experience working to prevent and end homelessness with local communities across the country and across a wide variety of sectors, Matthew brings a unique background to the position that will serve USICH, the Council, and all people experiencing homelessness well,” said Secretary Perez, who serves as the Chair of the Council. “His ability to ensure the efforts happening at the Federal level are supporting progress in the field will enable us to continue to make strong gains as we strive to provide everyone with a safe, stable place to call home.”

Mr. Doherty was unanimously appointed to the role permanently during the April 14th Council meeting and had been serving as the interim Executive Director since Laura Green Zeilinger stepped down from the role in January of this year. Mr. Doherty joined USICH in 2012, previously serving as the agency’s Director of National Initiatives.

“I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the passion, knowledge and dedication Matthew brings to his work at USICH,” said U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro. “I’m confident that under Matthew’s stewardship, USICH will continue its track record of strong leadership and bring our nation closer to the goal of ending homelessness.”

As the Executive Director of USICH, Mr. Doherty is responsible for the implementation of Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, an effort that includes the coordination of Federal homelessness policies and strategies among 19 Federal departments and agencies, as well as partnerships with state and local communities, non-profits, and the private sector. Under his leadership, USICH provides technical assistance and support to communities across the country, building systems of care that ensure individuals, families, youth, and Veterans are able to obtain or regain permanent housing as quickly as possible and access services to remain stably housed.

“It is truly an honor to have this opportunity to carry forward the work of my predecessors and to work with the fantastic team of staff we have at USICH, both the team working here in DC and our Regional Coordinators working out in the field,” said Mr. Doherty. “USICH’s work is successful because of our strong partnerships with other Federal agencies and their incredibly committed leaders and staff, and because of the collaborative efforts of dedicated people working in states and local communities.”

Mr. Doherty brings to his role more than 22 years of experience in both the private and public sectors, focused on the creation of housing, services programs, and economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities and households. Prior to joining USICH, Matthew worked as a consultant and also held positions at the Corporation for Supportive Housing, the San Diego Housing Commission, and the King County Housing Authority in Washington State. Matthew has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington. He and his husband Dean will be relocating to Washington D.C. from San Diego, California.