Houston's Mayor John Whitmire is shaking up the housing scene with a big appointment, and it's none other than Michael C. Nichols, the man who formerly steered the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County. Nichols is on deck to take over as the City of Houston's housing honcho, if Houston City Council gives the green light, as reported by the city's official announcement.
Nichols is filling the shoes left by Keith Bynam, who hung up his hat after 32 years with the Housing and Community Development Department, saying goodbye to his last three as director. Whitmire, in a tip of the hat, thanked Bynam for his service and contributions, pointing to Nichols as the man who's got what it takes to steer the city's housing department through its next chapter. It’s all about rebuilding trust after some rocky handling of disaster recovery ops, and keeping the momentum in affordable housing options.
With a resume boasting 30 years at major Houston food distributors like SYSCO and Grocers Supply, Nichols is no stranger to the nitty-gritty of financial sustainability. This, along with his leadership at the Coalition for the Homeless, has apparently given him the chops that Mayor Whitmire is betting on to push the housing department forward. “Mike Nichols is the right person to lead the City's housing department at the right time,” the mayor was quoted, stressing his confidence in Nichols' ability to foster collaborations and get more roofs over heads.
Nichols isn’t new to the corridors of power, having had a stint as interim chief exec of the Houston Parks, a move that likely gave him a peek into the workings of the public sector. With degrees from Brown and Emory University, Nichols isn't just a numbers guy, he’s got the book smarts to match. He's all set to roll up his sleeves and tackle what he describes as one of the city's most pressing challenges, affordable housing. “I am ready to go to work to implement Mayor Whitmire's vision to make Houston a better place to work and live,” Nichols said, setting his sights on making Houston the “most pro-housing city in the nation.”
Come Monday, March 4, Nichols is expected to hit the ground running, interim title in tow, poking at issues ranging from post-Harvey recovery to fresh housing development. With a nod from City Council, he might just nab the position for good. Mayor Whitmire's banking on the guy and, if all goes well, so will the entire City of Houston.
