PRESS RELEASE DETAIL

Office of the Mayor-President


For release: IMMEDIATELY

Release Date: 08/24/2015

Sweazy appointed new director of City-Parish Office of Community Development

Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden has appointed Bradley Sweazy as the new director of the city-parish Office of Community Development (OCD).

Prior to his appointment, Sweazy had served as a consultant for the city-parish OCD, assisting with project management and oversight. He has more than 23 years experience working with federal housing programs and community development both in Louisiana and Kentucky.

Sweazy began his career as an on-site property manager for the Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), and took the property from 55 percent occupancy to 98 percent occupancy within 18 months. During that same period, the sales price of the property increased from $750,000 to $1.45 million.

That success led to a series of promotions for Sweazy at the KHC that included stints as chief program officer and chief information officer, when he managed 250 team members and helped increased the KHC’s national ranking from 33rd to 8th. As KHC’s chief officer, Sweazy helped to increase the agency’s success in increasing single-family homeownership by 30 percent.

Sweazy came to Louisiana in April 2008 as program manager for the newly created Louisiana State Housing Corporation, and was charged with the management of the agency’s transition from the former Louisiana Housing Finance Agency. In the first year, he was instrumental in helping the LHC reduce costs and increase revenues so the agency realized a profit of over $2 million. As a result, he helped to restore the agency’s homebuyer program that had been off-line for 18 months.

At the LHC, Sweazy oversaw hundreds of millions in federal disaster Community Development Block Grants, $20 million in homeowner rehabilitation, and over than $1 billion in rental production. As a result, he was recognized by HUD for best practices.

In his new position as director for the City-Parish Office of Community Development, Sweazy will oversee a number of local programs to improve existing housing and develop new housing opportunities for persons of low to moderate income in East Baton Rouge Parish.




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