Changemaker: Julie Brewen
Julie Brewen is Chief Executive Officer of Housing Catalyst, the public housing authority serving Fort Collins, Wellington, and Larimer County. With more than 30 years of experience in affordable housing, Julie has expanded opportunities for vibrant, sustainable communities in Northern Colorado and has been a champion for affordable housing development on a national scale.
Her career in affordable housing began when she took a chance on an opportunity to work at the housing authority in the community where she lived at the time in Minot, North Dakota. “I had to learn quickly,” Julie recalls. “At the Minot Housing Authority, I was able to do my first two developments using underutilized affordable housing tax credits and bond cap.”
Family obligations saw Julie moving back to her home state of Colorado and settling in Fort Collins. Julie’s leadership in Minot equipped her with the experience needed to serve as the Executive Director of the housing authority in Fort Collins. Leveraging her knowledge from properties she’d developed in Minot, Julie was able to secure the housing authority’s first tax credit deals with limited staff, building the agency’s assets until she was able to hire the first Chief Real Estate Officer. “Because of those first couple deals in Fort Collins with my fingers crossed, the organization has grown to the development company we have today,” she said.
Julie is proud of the strategic direction she has developed and led at Housing Catalyst. In addition to becoming a top development organization in the region, Julie has emphasized the organization’s focus on creating a healthy culture that centers intentionality and mindfulness. “We have a goal focused on becoming the employer of choice,” she said, “and keeping our pace at a sustainable level so we’re meeting community needs while prioritizing staff.”
Julie also pointed to future opportunities to elevate Housing Catalyst’s work at a national and global scale. “I have testified before Congress, which was an amazing opportunity, attended housing and homelessness conferences in Canada, and participated in events like the 2024 World Urban Forum convened by the United Nations in Cairo,” she said. “We have expertise that can influence policy and legislation with the respect to be heard in those conversations. I’ve appreciated being able to be a voice for public housing authorities, especially representing those of us who are the most active affordable housing developers in our communities.”
Julie is an active member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), where she has helped to shape housing priorities for both the statewide chapter and nationally. She has been a NAHRO member for almost 30 years and has worked in several elected and volunteer positions within the organization. This has included serving on and chairing the organization’s International Research and Global Exchange Committee where she leads strategic planning efforts. Julie has shared her expertise through a study exchange in Brazil, roundtable discussion in Montreal, and as the leader of a delegation in Quito, Ecuador. In addition to her leadership on the committee, she serves on NAHRO’s Board of Governors where she establishes policy and sets goals and objectives for the organization’s membership base of over 26,000 housing and community development providers and professionals.
“My involvement on the board of NAHRO has been really important in helping me network and study best practices across the country and internationally,” she said. “I am currently leading a subcommittee focused on shaping a national housing policy and creating a framework for the future.” This work has informed white papers Julie has authored promoting the power of local housing authorities to lead housing development in their communities. In addition to her national roles, she also serves the local chapter of NAHRO as Colorado NAHRO’s Vice President of Commissioners.
Because of her longstanding involvement and leadership with the organization, she was named a 2024 NAHRO Fellow and the only fellow from the Mountain Plains region. NAHRO’s Fellowship program honors members who have shown accumulated wisdom and mastery with their commitment to improving housing conditions in their communities.
Julie also helped to shape CHFA’s strategic vision in her leadership as a member of CHFA’s Board of Directors. Serving from 2015 to 2022, she was named Board Chair in 2020 and served her term as Chair through the tumultuous first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Chair, Julie helmed the Board through social and economic uncertainty, leading with empathy and creativity while establishing protocols in a virtual environment. Her strong leadership allowed CHFA to continue to fulfill its mission while responding to the challenges and needs of communities as they navigated an unprecedented situation. “I kept the Board interacting and making good decisions despite the unknowns of the pandemic,” she said of her leadership as chair.
In her role as CEO of Housing Catalyst, Julie has faced challenges and opposition with various development projects but has managed to find agreement using the organization’s proven track record of success. “Each time we completed a project that had faced some kind of neighborhood opposition, we learned from the process and were able to point to the benefits,” she said. “Creating beautiful, community-focused developments became our tool to engage neighbors for the next project.”
During her tenure, Julie has led the organization through a rebranding process, opting for a name evoking their role as a changemaker in the community—Housing Catalyst. “The rebrand was absolutely successful and helped to raise our profile in our community as development experts,” she explained.
Throughout her career in affordable housing, Julie has navigated economic downturns, market instabilities, and a global pandemic, but she remains steadfast in her belief that housing is the foundation of a healthy community. “Affordable housing contributes to social, financial, and environmental success,” she said. “We’re focused on places where people can live and grow, and their children can thrive.”