A message from the Executive Director:
Dear CHA Colleagues, Friends, and Community Members,
After much reflection, I have decided to retire from my role as Executive Director of the Cambridge Housing Authority, effective February 27, 2026.
This decision comes with a mix of emotions. It is extremely difficult to step away from work that has been so meaningful to me, but a personal health concern has required me to shift my focus and prioritize my well-being.
Over the course of 34 years, I have had the honor and privilege of working alongside and learning from incredibly dedicated colleagues and partners. Together, the Cambridge Housing Authority has completed $1 billion in redevelopment work within our portfolio and repositioned the portfolio to be self-sustaining, ensuring CHA’s portfolio continues to serve the most vulnerable for many, many years to come. In the midst of my tenure at the CHA, we have seen incredible transformation and growth of deeply affordable housing, all while Cambridge ranks as one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country.
When I accepted the position of Executive Director in 2017, I was working from an incredibly strong foundation built by former Executive Directors Harry Spence, Dan Wuenschel, and Greg Russ. I was given the same instructions that were given to Dan Wuenschel and Greg Russ: “If nothing else, when you leave the CHA helm, make sure it is in better shape than you found it.” Given who sat in the Executive Director’s chair before me, this was a daunting task. Working alongside some of the most talented staff in the industry, our residents, voucher participants, and many of our federal, state, local, and private partners, I can confidently say we have grown and progressed significantly over the past nine years.
While we have transformed the agency, there are still many exciting opportunities in the pipeline both in and around Cambridge. Since I first walked into the CHA’s former Leasing and Occupancy Department home on Sellers Street on June 12, 1991, I have been fully invested in the Cambridge Housing Authority’s mission. It is essential that my successor be fully committed to advancing this mission, and although I can no longer be that person, I issue the same instructions given to Dan, Greg, and myself: “If nothing else, when you leave the CHA helm, make sure it is in better shape than you found it.”
Although I am retiring from my professional role, I will continue to cheer on the important work of this organization and remain connected to this community that means so much to me. I am confident the Board will find a successor who will build on our progress and steward CHA into its next era of service.
The future of the Cambridge Housing Authority remains very bright.
With gratitude and warm regards,
Michael J. Johnston
Executive Director, Cambridge Housing Authority
