The Rhode Island State House (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
Gov. Dan McKee on Thursday named Massachusetts housing veteran Deborah Goddard as his pick for Rhode Island housing secretary, filling the vacancy created after Stefan Pryor resigned in June.
If approved by the Rhode Island Senate, Goddard will be the department’s fourth leader — third on a permanent basis — in its three-year existence. Dan Connors, the interim secretary who has headed the department since July, was never a contender for the permanent position, something both he and McKee have made clear.
“Deborah Goddard is a deeply committed and accomplished housing professional whose work has benefited people from all backgrounds,” McKee said in a statement Thursday. “Housing affordability and availability in Rhode Island have never been more important than they are right now. I am confident Deborah’s knowledge and experience will guide the Department to achieving our housing goals.”
As housing secretary, Goddard will oversee a $36 million state budget and 38-person team, with the gargantuan task of tackling the state housing crisis through housing construction and preservation, and emergency shelter aid. The housing department is also responsible for distributing much of the $322 million in federal pandemic aid set aside for housing in Rhode Island, along with a new $120 million housing bond, which passed on Nov. 5.
Goddard’s salary will be $238,597, the same amount paid to Pryor before he stepped down.
Lawmakers and housing advocates have pushed for a permanent housing secretary for months, insisting the role is crucial to stabilize a department rocked by a revolving door of leaders, scrutiny over program management and allegations of state purchasing rules violations.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, who has led the charge for housing reform at the State Housel, signaled his support for Goddard in a statement Thursday.
“I met with Deborah Goddard for the first time yesterday and she was very impressive,” Shekarchi said. “Housing remains a critical issue to me, as well as the members of the House of Representatives and the people of Rhode Island. We have made great progress in addressing the housing crisis, including the passage of an historic housing bond earlier this month, and we must keep our feet on the gas pedal.”
At an unrelated media event in Warwick on Wednesday, McKee said his pick for housing secretary was coming “very soon,” chalking up the five-month wait to difficulty in filling the position.
Goddard was plucked from a pool of four applicants, Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee’s office, said in an email Thursday. A national search, initially pitched as an option, was never conducted, DaRocha said.
Two other women leaders in Rhode Island’s housing space previously signaled their interest in the job, too.
Goddard brings more than 40 years of private and public-sector housing experience to Rhode Island. She currently leads her own consulting firm, based out of Massachusetts, but has previously led public housing initiatives in Massachusetts and New York. She served as executive vice president for capital projects at the New York City Housing Authority from 2016 to 2019, overseeing $3 billion in construction and helping advance energy and sustainability programs. Prior to that, she was managing director for policy and program development at MassHousing, helping prop up stronger utility rebates for multifamily houses and new cost-saving programs for energy and water conservation. She has also worked as general counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
In a statement, Goddard pledged to advance an “inclusive, comprehensive, and transparent” housing agenda in Rhode Island.
“Secure, safe, and affordable housing creates the foundation for positive outcomes in education, health, and economic prosperity,” Goddard said “With this principle in mind, my career has been dedicated to creating and preserving housing opportunities across the income spectrum, for the unhoused, for renters and homeowners, alike, with attention to equity.”
She also acknowledged the “persistent headwinds” facing housing development, but said “they are not unique to Rhode Island nor are they new.”
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Department of Housing and sister agencies, with elected officials and partners throughout the public and private sectors to achieve success despite the challenges,” Goddard said.
Goddard has a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College and a law degree from Boston College.
Her start date is Dec. 2.
Like other cabinet-level positions, Goddard must be confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate, which is scheduled to reconvene on Jan. 7.
“I appreciate the Governor’s work to fill this extremely important position, and I look forward to the Senate’s thorough review of Ms. Goddard’s appointment through the advice and consent process,” Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said in a statement on Thursday.
A date for the Senate’s confirmation vote on Goddard has not been scheduled as of Thursday, said Greg Paré, a Senate spokesperson.
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