Affordable housing industry veteran Jolene Kline has been named executive director of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA).
She was appointed to the top post by the state's Industrial Commission.
“We are very pleased that Jolene has accepted this appointment,” commission members said in a joint statement. “She is an outstanding advocate for affordable housing and has done a terrific job leading the agency during the interim period. We look forward to continued good work from Jolene and the staff.”
Kline has served as acting executive director since the retirement of Mike Anderson in May.
“We have been making great strides in addressing North Dakota’s need for affordable housing, but there is still much more to do. I am excited to help move the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency forward in our mission of providing affordable housing for every North Dakotan,” Kline said. “The agency has a very dedicated and passionate staff, and I know with their continued support and commitment, we will continue to make excellent progress in addressing our state’s needs.”
She has been with NDHFA since 1985. In 2006, she was selected as the first director of the agency’s planning and housing development division, which is charged with helping communities address housing shortages and unmet needs.
Among its duties, the agency allocates low-income housing tax credits to help finance the development of affordable housing in the state. NDHFA has also been active in helping meet the critical need for affordable housing in the state’s fast-growing oil country.
NDHFA is a self-supporting state agency that finances the creation and rehabilitation of affordable housing across North Dakota. The North Dakota Industrial Commission, consisting of Gov. Jack Dalrymple as chairman, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, oversees the agency.
