The Cambridge Housing Authority has a new chief executive in Clara Fraden, the agency’s board of commissioners said Monday. Fraden joins March 30 as the first woman to lead the 91-year-old supplier of deeply affordable housing and housing subsidies.
Fraden is a Cambridge resident with a master’s degree in urban planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She has worked at CHA for eight years as a project manager and then as director of planning in guiding a team creating what the board called a statewide $1 billion “redevelopment pipeline.”
She brings “more than a decade of community development and organizational leadership experience. She has a deep understanding of Cambridge and our communities, a passion for identifying new housing opportunities and respect for the people the housing authority serves,” said Elaine DeRosa, the board’s chair, in a press release.
Predecessor Michael Johnston announced his retirement on Aug. 28 after nine years as chief executive and a total 34 years working at the agency. “I am happy to see the board has appointed someone whom I know will work hard to continue the foundation and successes created by those who sat in the seat before me and the incredible CHA workforce,” he said.
Under Johnston the agency became a regional force, from working on city-funded rent vouchers in Somerville to consulting with housing authorities throughout New England. On Wednesday it expects to embark on its latest development in Cambridge – building affordable homes at 16-28 Porter St., Wellington-Harrington, near the Twin City Plaza at the Somerville city line. It is moving toward a social housing experiment and has three large modernizations underway in Cambridge as well as work on 144 units at Walkling Court in Medford and 135 units at Sherman Gardens in Belmont.
Fraden said upon accepting the appointment:
“Housing is a human right and the foundation of a strong community. CHA is a national leader, proof of what the public sector can achieve with sustained investment, strong infrastructure and deeply committed residents and staff. I am grateful to Mike and my predecessors, colleagues, residents and neighbors, and many city, state and federal partners for the foundation they’ve built. I look forward to building on that work to preserve, strengthen and grow communities where everyone can thrive.”
The work of the Cambridge Housing Authority encompasses more than 13,500 people in and around Cambridge. More than 9,500 of its clients and renters live in Cambridge, representing roughly 8 percent of the city’s population. Fraden will oversee a staff of 263 full- and part-time employees and an annual budget of around $210 million, with 84 percent representing funding for Section 8 vouchers, said Luis Vasquez, senior program manager for customer service and communications. The remaining funds come from a variety of state and city sources and development and management fees earned from private partners.
This post was updated March 25 and 31, 2026, with information about the Cambridge Housing Authority’s staff size and budget.
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