Michael Bodaken

Michael Bodaken is an adjunct in the School of Public Policy. He teaches PLCY 306, Policy Analysis and Action. From 1993 to 2018, Bodaken served as head of the National Housing Trust (NHT). During his tenure at the organization, Michael served as President of NHT, NHT-Enterprise Preservation Corporation (NHT-Enterprise) and the National Housing Community Development Fund (NHTCDF). Michael was largely responsible for the growth of the organization into an industry leader affordable housing and “green preservation,” targeting grants and loans for energy retrofits of affordable housing.

Under his leadership, the Trust won the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative & Effective Institutions. He was one of the co-founders of “Energy Efficiency for All” a unique collaboration between NHT, NRDC and the Energy Foundation. Under his leadership, the Trust financed and preserved more than 30,000 affordable homes throughout the nation, leveraging more than $1 billion in financing. NHT,
through its subsidiary NHTCDF, provides low-interest loans to affordable housing developers across the U.S. Through affiliate NHT-Enterprise, NHT owns and operates nearly 4000 affordable homes along the East Coast and Midwest. 

Prior to joining the Trust, Michael worked as Deputy Mayor for Housing for the City of Los Angeles after having practiced public interest law for more than a decade. Michael is a member of the Boards of the National Housing Conference, Morgan Stanley Community Development, Housing Justice Center, Homes for America and the Healthy Affordable Materials Project. He is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist at affordable housing industry events. Michael serves as a consultant for the National Resources Defense Council and the Center for Community Investment.