Press Release  Governor Healey Appoints Juana Matias as Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities 

Boston — Today, Governor Maura Healey announced that she is appointing Juana Matias as Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC). Matias previously served as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is a former Massachusetts State Representative for the 16th Essex District. Current Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus will step down from his position on Friday, February 27, and Deputy Secretary Jennifer Maddox will serve as Interim Secretary until Matias assumes her position on April 1.

“Since taking office, we've made significant progress on building more housing to lower costs for people and businesses. We’ve leaned on the partnership of leaders in this field – leaders like Juana Matias, who we’re thrilled to welcome to the team as Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. Juana brings with her a deep understanding of housing policy from her time as HUD Regional Administrator and a longtime commitment to Massachusetts. We’re excited to further our housing agenda and look forward to working with Juana to meet this moment,” said Governor Healey. “I’m incredibly grateful for Secretary Augustus’ leadership as Secretary of Housing over the last three years. Together, we’ve passed the state’s most comprehensive housing legislation ever and ushered in the development of 100,000 new housing units. His dedication to Massachusetts has always been clear, and we’re thankful for all that he's accomplished as Secretary. We wish him all the best in his next steps.”

“We’re excited to welcome Juana as our next Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. Her experience leading transformative housing policies across New England makes her an incredible choice to lead the future of housing for Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re so grateful for Secretary Augustus’ partnership and collaboration over the last three years and look forward to seeing him thrive in his next venture.”

“I’m honored that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll placed their faith in me to help lead this new secretariat,” said Secretary Augustus. “Massachusetts’ housing crisis impacts every community, but we know what the solution is — build more housing and strengthen the systems that help people find stability at every stage. I’m deeply grateful to the talented, mission-driven public servants across HLC. This team delivered with creativity, rigor and heart, and I leave confident that HLC under Secretary Matias’ leadership will keep pushing forward to make housing more affordable and more available across Massachusetts.”

“I’m honored to join the Healey-Driscoll team as Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, and I’m grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for their trust. I want to thank Secretary Augustus for his leadership and for the strong foundation he has built to expand housing opportunities across the Commonwealth,” said Juana Matias. “Under Governor Healey’s leadership, Massachusetts is already seeing more housing development across the state. We must continue increasing production while preserving affordability, working in partnership with local leaders, developers, advocates, and residents across the Commonwealth. I have dedicated my career to serving the people of this state and I’ve seen the transformative impact that pro-growth housing policy can have on communities and economies. Ensuring families have the foundation they need to build their lives in Massachusetts is essential, and I’m ready to get to work.”

Matias was appointed HUD Regional Administrator by President Joe Biden, where she advanced federal housing policy across New England and oversaw offices in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. In this role, she managed an annual budget of $8.47 billion in federal appropriations and oversaw competitive and formula-based grants, affordable housing subsidies for 183,370 Housing Choice Voucher households, 59,004 public housing units, and 8,000 project-based rental properties. She oversaw the administration and performance of HUD programs across the region, including rental assistance, homelessness initiatives, and the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. She also facilitated access to housing development and homeownership resources, including FHA-insured mortgages, housing counseling, and grants for lead hazard control, community development, and affordable housing.  

Prior to joining HUD, Matias served as Chief Operating Officer of MassINC and Commonwealth Magazine and was previously a Massachusetts State Representative for the 16th Essex District in Lawrence and Methuen.  

Matias holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and criminal justice from University of Massachusetts Boston and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. She was born in the Dominican Republic and now lives in Boxford. She speaks Spanish and has served on several boards including the University of Massachusetts, Lawrence Alliance for Education, Beth Israel Lahey Hospital, and Amplify Latinx (now WeAreALX).

Governor Healey created the state’s first housing secretariat in 30 years and appointed Secretary Augustus to lead the office in 2023. Over the last three years, Secretary Augustus stood up the new cabinet-level secretariat of approximately 600 employees and assembled a team to craft, execute and engage with external stakeholders on the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s housing goals. He spearheaded the administration’s efforts to address the state's housing shortage with the focus and urgency it demands. Together, Governor Healey and Secretary Augustus passed the Affordable Homes Act, a historic $5.2 billion investment in housing production that included 50 policy initiatives to expand housing tools statewide. Under Secretary Augustus’ leadership, the administration filed the state’s first-ever five-year housing plan, “A Home for Everyone”, and took action to speed up the permitting process for new homes, turn state land into thousands of new homes, convert downtown commercial space into apartments, create a first-in-the-nation fund to finance mixed-income development in a time of high interest rates, and legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). 

The administration also expanded key housing production tools by implementing increases to tax credits like LITC and HDIP, created the new Seasonal Communities designation to deliver customized tools that support year-round housing in communities with substantial seasonal swings in employment and housing and transformed and strengthened homelessness prevention programs.  

Secretary Augustus will be leaving the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to become CEO of UniBank. Headquartered in the Blackstone Valley, UniBank is the largest bank based in Central Massachusetts. 

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