The long-time head of the San Diego Housing Commission resigned this week amid increased scrutiny by the City Council.
Rick Gentry, 73, announced his retirement after 14 years and will serve his final day at the agency on March 31.
Gentry’s decision came a week after the council formed a select committee to oversee the commission and consider reforms.
The commission has been the target of criticism after news that a broker hired by the agency invested heavily in a company that owned a Mission Valley hotel prior to its purchase for affordable housing.
Under Gentry’s tenure, the commission saw its budget more than double to over $600 million and its responsibilities grow from distributing federal housing vouchers and grants for affordable housing to also overseeing most of the city’s homeless services.
“I’m planning to take a little time, clear my head and figure out what the next chapter will be in my career,” Gentry told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
During his tenure, the commission created and preserved over 7,600 affordable rental units. He has worked in the affordable housing field for 50 years.
