Changemaker: David W. Herlinger
David “Dave” W. Herlinger was CHFA’s longest tenured Executive Director, filling the role from 1977 until his retirement in 2000. His 23 years of leadership were marked by substantial organizational growth and evolution underpinned by a steady commitment to collaboration, innovation, fiscal prudence, and service. He is remembered fondly for his passionate commitment to affordable housing and community development. He embodied a kind but no-nonsense approach to conducting business and played a significant role in building CHFA’s reputation as a trusted organization that exists for the sole purpose of fulfilling its mission.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Dave moved to Denver with his wife and children in 1968. He held several positions in affordable housing in Denver before joining CHFA during its first year of operations. Less than three years later, following the resignation of CHFA’s first Executive Director, Walter Kane, Dave was appointed by CHFA’s Board of Directors to lead the organization. At that time, CHFA had fewer than 10 employees and a small operational budget.
“Late in 1974, I was asked to join the Authority staff as Director of Housing Operations, and I was pleased to be in on the ground floor of both the planning and original implementation phases of the Authority’s operations,” wrote Dave in CHFA’s 1977 Annual Report. “I know full well that replacing Walter Kane is both a personal honor and a professional challenge. I intend to meet that challenge.”
Despite modest financing infrastructure, Dave led CHFA’s efforts that year to make $100 million in funding available for first-time homebuyers as well as CHFA’s first multifamily bond issuance for low-income renters. Through the late 1970s and 1980s, CHFA navigated a volatile state and national economy coupled with reduced availability of federal resources that had previously financed much of the nation’s affordable housing.
These conditions inspired creative thinking and facilitated CHFA’s partnerships with public and private sector collaborators to address the state’s most pressing needs.
“Adversity creates opportunity,” wrote Dave in CHFA’s 1988 Annual Report. “With federal resources dwindling, and the Colorado economy in temporary decline, our philosophy has been to create opportunities from what initially appear to be problems.” That year, CHFA established the Rental Acquisition Program to renovate and preserve under-utilized housing and offer affordable rents without federal subsidy. “Flexibility, stability, and the ability to deal with change were the operative terms of the decade,” Dave wrote in the following year’s Annual Report. “We have learned that by leveraging those resources that are available, opportunities can be developed, and housing can be financed. That’s the critical lesson we can thank the [19]80s for.”
As CHFA entered the 1990s, Dave continued to lead the organization to strengthen its relationships with its partners, invest in its existing programs, and develop initiatives to support homebuyers, local businesses, and affordable rental housing. This included the launch of CHFA’s homebuyer education and down payment assistance programs to provide additional opportunities for Coloradans to achieve affordable, responsible homeownership. The federal Housing Tax Credit program, administered by CHFA in Colorado since the program’s inception in 1986, also gained momentum, becoming a permanent resource thanks to federal action in 1993.
As the organization continued to grow, Dave championed the value of fiscal responsibility paired with agility and a willingness to adapt to market conditions and the changing needs of Coloradans. “While having strong administrative and management policies in place, we have not allowed ourselves to be locked into only one way of doing business,” Dave wrote in CHFA’s 1995 Annual Report. “Because of this flexibility we have been able to remain relevant in the Colorado marketplace.”
I have a great love for this state, a sincere affection for the organization, and genuine admiration for my colleagues. We take pride in what we do and how we do it.
Upon his retirement in 2000, CHFA was an organization of more than 150 employees. That year, CHFA made its 40,000th single family home loan. During his tenure, the organization supported the development of more than 39,000 affordable rental housing units and provided financing to more than 1,200 Colorado businesses, directly impacting more than 16,000 jobs.
During and following his time as CHFA’s leader, Dave held numerous additional roles including Chairman of the Lowry Redevelopment Authority and President of the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA). He also served on the advisory board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka and was a recognized community leader through board positions across many Colorado nonprofit organizations focused on housing, homelessness, and community development. Today, CHFA’s Direct Effect Awards honor his passion for supporting local nonprofit organizations, while also nodding to his notably direct demeanor.
“From a fledgling organization we have been able to grow the enterprise and provide enormous gains for Colorado,” wrote Dave in CHFA’s 2000 Community Report. “I have a great love for this state, a sincere affection for the organization, and genuine admiration for my colleagues. We take pride in what we do and how we do it.”
Following his passing in 2012, CHFA named its annual golf tournament after Dave. Each year, the event raises funds for local nonprofit organizations whose missions support affordable housing, honoring his years of dedication and passion for CHFA’s mission. Today, CHFA continues to work toward fulfilling its mission to strengthen Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development, grateful for Dave Herlinger’s inspiring legacy and the foundation he laid.