Arthur Jemison is the Executive Director of the Detroit Housing Commission. He has over 30 years’ experience in planning, development, and affordable housing in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Detroit.
Most recently, Jemison was the head of the City of Boston’s Planning and Development Agency for Mayor Michelle Wu. Before that, he spent two years as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Further, Jemison was the President’s Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing in 2022.
Before that, Jemison spent seven years with the City of Detroit, starting as the founding Director of the Housing and Revitalization Department before becoming the Group Executive for Planning, Housing, and Development. He helped oversee Detroit’s recovery from bankruptcy. He helped craft some of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s most notable policies, like a $250 million blight remediation bond plan, the Strategic Neighborhood Fund to rebuild commercial corridors; as well as leading the public approvals for Michigan Central Station, Stellantis Expansion on the City’s East Side and Amazon’s expansion at the State Fairgrounds.