Lois Starr, Director
Housing Development and Preservation Division
Lois Starr is currently Director of the Housing Development and Preservation Division with oversight of the Development, Housing Preservation and Homeownership, Programs/Administration and Special Needs Housing Units. Her charge is to carry out the Division's goal to promote the development and preservation of affordable housing stock for low- and moderate-income individuals, homeowners, tenants, and special needs persons through the activities of each Unit within the Division.
She has over 30 years experience in the housing and community development field. Prior to joining the CDC in 1997, Lois was an affordable housing consultant advising and assisting non-profit housing development and social service agencies in developing special needs housing. Her consulting firm assisted agencies in the development of transitional and permanent housing for homeless families, victims of domestic violence, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and emancipating foster youth. Prior to forming her private consulting firm, Ms. Starr worked for the U.S. Department of HUD in the Los Angeles field office for ten years.
Lois has specialized in CDC’s collaborative partnerships for the production of special needs housing. In addition to providing funding for affordable housing through traditional sources of funding, Lois has carried out the CDC's responsibility for the allocation and distribution of over $52,000,000 in County funds for the prevention of homelessness. Working closely with the Health and Human Services Department in the County, Lois has taken the lead to develop and implement new and innovative solutions to house and serve homeless individuals and families with many co-occurring disorders, youth emancipating from the dependency and delinquency systems of care, frequent users of the County’s health and mental health systems of care, victims of domestic violence and frail seniors living in public housing.