Lena Andrews knows she has big shoes to fill.
Andrews will take over as the CEO of ACTION Housing, Pittsburgh’s largest nonprofit housing developer, on Oct. 1.
Larry Swanson, the agency’s current executive director, will step down after leading the storied organization since 2005; he started working there in 1979.
Pittsburgh native Andrews, who is 45, will be the sixth person to lead ACTION Housing in its 67-year history and the first woman to serve in the role.
Andrews said she is very conscious of the key role ACTION plays both as a large provider of affordable housing locally and in the assistance it administers.
“Thousands of people rely on us,” Andrews said. “We are a really important part of the affordable housing infrastructure in Pittsburgh, and I want people to know that we're going to continue this great work and that we're going to continue to work with our partners to do all of the wonderful things we've been doing.”
ACTION was founded in 1957 by Mayor David Lawrence and philanthropist Richard King Mellon. It has grown significantly since then and now employs more than 140 people; it has developed thousands of units of affordable housing and runs a number of housing-related programs, including ones related to foreclosure prevention and home weatherization.
Prior to working for ACTION, Andrews worked for both the city of Pittsburgh and the URA in jobs related to planning, economic development and community development.
“All of my work has been focused on improving the quality of life in the city of Pittsburgh, which I love,” she said.
Andrews has worked at ACTION for the last 12 years, most recently serving as vice president of real estate development, leading a team that develops, renovates and preserves affordable housing in the Pittsburgh region. Much of ACTION’s housing is affordable rental housing for people who earn 60% or below of area median income — about $37,000 a year or less — or is supportive housing for people with different types of disabilities.
Among the projects Andrews has helped bring to fruition: a major renovation of the the former YMCA on Centre Avenue in the Hill District with more than 70 units of affordable housing; Krause Commons, housing in Squirrel Hill for people with intellectual disabilities; and the recently-opened Flats on Forward, a 43-unit affordable development on the site of the former Squirrel Hill Theater, which overcame a number of unexpected challenges and costs.
Several local government officials and housing advocates said they were thrilled Andrews would be stepping into the top job.
“You really cannot overstate the importance of ACTION Housing within the affordable housing ecosystem in Pittsburgh,” said Kyle Chintalapalli, chief economic development officer for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, who also serves as chair of the board of Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. “Lena’s care, compassion, and creativity is evident in everything she does and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to work alongside, learn from, and partner with her in various capacities over the past twelve years.”
Her background and her experience make her a perfect fit for the job, said Lauren Connelly, director of economic development for Allegheny County.
“She has been on the ground as a neighborhood planner. Her work with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and then her work with Action Housing. She's also from Pittsburgh, and so she's been here as these communities have evolved and changed,” Connelly said.
“Lena isn't always the loudest in the room, but she is so thoughtful. And when she does speak and she does share her thoughts, everyone listens,” she added.
Andrews has also been involved in laying the groundwork for ongoing developments Uptown Flats, Penn Lincoln Apartments in Wilkinsburg, and the renovation of the Robin Building at 200 Ross Street, downtown.
The Uptown Flats project is a partnership with shelter Bethlehem Haven.
Annette Fetchko, Bethlehem Haven’s executive director, said she has worked closely with Andrews on the project for several years and praised her skill — as well as her understanding of the importance of housing to the clients Bethlehem serves.
Her reaction on learning Andrews would be leading ACTION Housing: “There's a huge smile on my face, and my heart is singing,” Fetchko said.
Jeremy Carter, manager for housing strategy for UPMC and an ACTION Housing board member, praised Andrews’ abilities at navigating the complexities of financing affordable housing — where projects can often involve more than ten separate funding sources with their own timelines and requirements.
“In the years that I've known her [I’ve] just been consistently impressed by how she pulls off these complex and complicated deals,” Carter said.
The agency’s board conducted a national search for its new leader, said Carter.
“We really wanted to find someone who really understood the complexities of affordable housing, but also had a strong passion for Pittsburgh and in the region,” Carter said. “Lena stood out from the very beginning as not just having the experience, but the passion for Pittsburghers and the impact ACTION has on the region.”
So what’s next?
“We are an agency that is responsive to the needs of our community,” Andrews said, citing ACTION’s work in the last several years distributing more than $100 million in COVID-related rental assistance, and the nonprofit’s role administering the new Whole-Home Repairs program.
“I can't predict the future and know exactly what programs we're going to be getting involved in next. But we want to work with our partners to be responsive to what Pittsburgh needs in the housing space,” she said.
