New HRA Director Jeff Brand appointed

The Cook County Housing Redevelopment Authority board officially appointed a new Executive Director on Feb. 19. They announced at the beginning of February that Jeff Brand had accepted the role. Brand has now, officially, started the job.

Brand told WTIP that his career in public service has included time on the St. Peter, MN City Council, and as the representative for State House District 18A. In both of these roles, Brand said he saw housing as a vital part of building stronger communities.

At this time, Brand resides in St. Peter, and will be commuting several days a week as he prepares to move to the North Shore. He said, however, that he is not a stranger to the county. He has made trips to the area throughout his life, and married his wife, Genevieve, at Artist’s Point.

Brand is only the second HRA executive director. His predecessor, Jason Hale, who served 2 and a half years in the role. As the first director for the organization, Hale did a lot of work that Brand described as “foundational.”

“Jason was very good at putting together projects, and we now have projects that are being built in the community,” Brand said, “So we can actually visualize these things on a daily basis, that we’re all concepts 20, 30, years ago.”

Moving forward, Brand said he is looking to build on Hale’s foundation. He also knows, however, that new challenges may be ahead. He mentioned the potential tariffs on foreign steel and lumber, that could drive construction cost up even higher than the current prices.

Brand added that the shifting political climate could also mean a change in availability of funding for housing projects.  He said, “So we’re going to have to get creative. And I’m going to have to put my creative hat on with the board.”

Just a few days into the job, Brand said that he’s excited about this new role. “I see challenge, and I up for the challenge. And I accept the mission that both the HRA and the county has put together in finding more housing options for people.”

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Jeff Brand about his new role as HRA Executive Director. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski February 24, 2025