By Jen Wilds
As I step into the role of President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the path that brought me here.
My connection to Habitat started nearly 20 years ago, before I ever joined the Board or the staff. I was working in Virginia when I first volunteered with a local Habitat affiliate. I knew housing mattered, but that experience gave me a much more tangible understanding of what a home can make possible.
That connection eventually brought me to the Habitat San Francisco Board in 2007 and, later, to the staff in 2016. Since then, I’ve gotten to know this work from many different sides—from finance and operations to real estate development and homeowner and community engagement. I’ve seen projects take shape from their earliest planning stages, and I’ve been there when families finally receive the keys to their homes.
And over those years, a few things have stayed with me.
Homeownership opens doors
Housing has always felt essential to family stability. It was for my family growing up, and I’ve seen it again and again through the families we partner with. A safe, affordable home gives people room to think beyond next month’s rent. It creates the stability to plan, dream, and build for the future.
Some of my favorite moments at Habitat are our key ceremonies. By the time a family receives those keys, years of work, perseverance, and partnership have gone into making that moment possible. Seeing the pride, relief, and joy on a family’s face is a powerful reminder of what all of that work adds up to: greater stability, opportunity, and possibility for the future.
Affordable homeownership takes all of us
One thing I understood much better after joining the staff is just how much complex, creative work happens behind the scenes. It takes homeowners, staff, volunteers, donors, public partners, community organizations, and many others working through challenges together.
I like complicated problems, and affordable homeownership in the Bay Area is certainly one of them. I’ve learned that the best way through them is to build a strong plan, bring the right people together, and stay flexible when circumstances change.
Momentum matters
I’m fortunate to step into this role at a time when Habitat Greater San Francisco already has so much to build on. I’m deeply grateful for Maureen’s leadership and partnership over the past decade and for the years of work by our staff, Board, and partners that have brought us to this point. Many of the projects we’ll advance in the years ahead started long before today.
We currently have over a hundred homes in our development pipeline across Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties. That includes Redwood Boulevard in Novato, which will become the largest affordable homeownership development in our organization’s history. Alongside projects like Redwood, we’ll continue advancing smaller infill developments, home preservation, and creative partnerships that can open more paths to homeownership.
Our goal is simple: we want more families to have the opportunity to own a stable, affordable home.
I’m incredibly honored to lead this organization, and excited about the work we get to do together. We have an experienced team, strong partners, a clear strategy, and meaningful progress already in motion.
I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together next.
In community,
Jen Wilds
President and Chief Executive Officer
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco