Photo courtesy of Housing Navigator

The public-facing clearinghouse for affordable housing rentals has a new permanent leader after its founder announced last year she was stepping down.

Jerome DuVal steps into Jennifer Gilbert’s shoes as executive director of Housing Navigator MA.

DuVal was previously an executive vice president at Empire State Development, the umbrella agency for New York State’s economic development efforts, Housing Navigator said in its announcement. While there, he oversaw the participation of woman- and minority-owned businesses in state contracts, the announcement said, driving the program issue over $6 billion in contracts to WMBEs in two years and beating its governor-assigned performance targets for the first time in 35 years.

“It’s an honor to join Housing Navigator MA and help lead this innovative, tech-driven nonprofit into the future,” DuVal said in a statement. “With housing prices skyrocketing and inventory at a historic low, access to affordable housing is more critical than ever. Housing Navigator MA’s data-driven approach and forward-thinking mindset are exactly what the commonwealth needs. I’m excited to collaborate with our state, local, and private sector partners to deliver on our mission: to connect people with a place to call home.”

Gilbert founded Housing Navigator in 2019 with the aim of providing a public-facing portal to all the state’s deed-restricted affordable housing units to help make renters’ searches for housing much more transparent and dramatically speed up the often-slow process of leasing up a development’s affordable housing units.

The nonprofit has been repeatedly recognized for its consumer tech innovation.

“We are also incredibly grateful to Jennifer for her vision and leadership over the last six years. Her commitment creating Housing Navigator inspired all of us  and we wish her all the best on her next chapter,” Housing Navigator board chair Marty Jones said in a statement.