Jane Graf
Jane Graf leads Mercy Housing, one of the nation’s mightiest affordable housing firms. She joined the organization in 1992, rose to president in 2013, and then added “CEO” to her title a year later.
Graf is just the third CEO and first layperson to steer the longtime organization, which was started by the Sisters of Mercy. The organization owns and operates approximately 19,000 affordable housing units across the country. Headquartered in Denver, the nonprofit has a workforce nearing 1,400.
This year, Mercy Housing could grow even more as it explores a possible merger with the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters. Under the proposed deal, Mercy Housing would take over Franciscan Ministries’ 2,620 housing units in addition to the pending acquisition of another 1,200 units in eight states.
Graf is also pursuing new ways to deliver affordable housing and services.
“We’re looking at piloting a new model of senior and special-needs supportive housing, where we can mix health-care dollars with housing dollars to very quickly come in, find opportunities, and house people with very specific and intense service needs at less cost, in a noninstitutional environment.
“We’re partnering with private health-care and public health organizations,” says Graf, who began her career in social services, working as a job placement coordinator for developmentally disabled adults in Oregon. She recognized that even if people did find jobs, first and foremost they all required an affordable place to live. That pushed Graf toward developing housing, a passion that continues today.
She’s a board member of the Housing Partnership Network, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future, National Housing Trust, and, most recently, the National Equity Fund.
