Denver has opened a nationwide search for its next executive director of the Department of Housing Stability, putting one of the city’s biggest paychecks for a housing chief on the table to reel in a new leader. The person who lands the job will oversee HOST’s homelessness response, direct affordable housing investments, and manage more than 100 full-time employees, all while the department pushes through reforms prompted by a 2024 audit and recent leadership churn.
According to The Ladders, the salary range for the executive director runs from $169,976 to $288,959, with a lifelong monthly pension available once an employee is vested after five years of service. The listing presents the position as an in-person, executive-level role with competitive municipal benefits and broad decision-making authority.
As reported by The Denver Gazette, Jamie Rife stepped down at the end of November after just under two years and has moved into a senior vice president role at Housing Connectors. Rife led Mayor Mike Johnston’s All In Mile High initiative and was central to efforts to move people indoors and into permanent housing. Her departure leaves City Hall searching for someone who can keep that rehousing push going while tightening oversight of how the work gets done.
What The Job Covers
The executive director will be responsible for setting HOST’s strategic vision, leading fiscal and operational planning, chairing internal loan review work, and managing contracts with shelter operators and housing development partners. The role calls for a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or comparable experience, and at least 10 years of work in affordable housing policy or housing development, with experience in homelessness prevention or community development described as highly desirable, according to Teal.
Audit And Accountability
A November 2024 performance audit found that HOST did not do enough to ensure shelter providers met security and nondiscrimination standards, failed to track overall shelter-related spending, and stored sensitive guest information on a shared drive, according to the Denver Auditor’s Office. Auditors laid out a slate of recommendations, from creating a shelter security needs assessment to centralizing invoicing procedures, and the department agreed to adopt them on phased timelines. Those fixes are expected to land near the top of the next director’s to-do list.
Policy Backdrop And Candidate Tests
The recruitment comes as Denver pilots performance-based shelter contracts and shifts more funding toward permanent housing outcomes, a change that has drawn scrutiny during vendor transitions and new contract rollouts. The Denver Gazette has detailed those contracting changes, while reporting from Colorado Politics notes that city initiatives moved roughly 7,800 people indoors and placed about 6,500 into permanent housing. Those numbers set a high bar for whoever steps in next, who will need both policy credibility and operational muscle to maintain that pace while locking in audit-driven reforms.
How To Apply
The application window is open through Monday, Feb. 9, and candidates are directed to apply through the city’s listing on The Ladders, which includes full position details and instructions. According to that posting, the role is expected to remain open until Feb. 9 and will be filled based on education, experience, and alignment with the mayor’s housing priorities.
HOST was created by Executive Order No. 145 in 2019 to centralize Denver’s housing and homelessness efforts, making the next executive director a key player in how the city’s housing strategy evolves, per the City and County of Denver executive order. The hire will be closely watched by providers, advocates, and elected officials as Denver tries to balance aggressive housing results with tighter accountability.
