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The adage that the right one comes if you don’t look for him? Sean Spear knows something about it. Although he wasn’t looking for a new job, the position of CEO at Community HousingWorks found him and the two made a good match.
“Community HousingWorks knows that opportunities start with stable homes and works every day to provide safe, affordable housing that people can thrive in,” he says. “All of this made me excited about the opportunity to work with the organization.”
Founded in 1988, the nonprofit develops, remediates, and operates affordable housing in San Diego County and across California. The organization also offers programs, resources, and services to help residents of these communities learn things like financial stability, how to improve their health and general well-being, and tutoring and scholarships for children and adolescents.
Spear, 54, became the organization’s new president and CEO last fall, having previously held senior leadership roles in community development in New York, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. He lives in Cortez Hill in downtown San Diego and has a freshman son. He took some time to talk about his new role and why this work in community planning and affordable housing is important to him.
Q: You graduated from Cornell University with a degree in urban and regional policy and regional planning. What attracted you to urban planning professionally?
A: At first I liked the idea of figuring out how to balance the needs of the communities. It was fascinating to think about: How can the need for growth be reconciled with the preservation of the uniqueness of a district or a city? How do you ensure that a city or region has the right balance between jobs, housing and amenities like schools and parks?
I was incredibly lucky to get my first post-college job as a city planner for the neighborhood I grew up in – Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Every day was exciting for me as I worked to help my community become a better place. Although I then focused on housing construction and financing, urban planning taught me to analyze and break down a problem, find options, and then make a decision as to which to pursue. It’s a way of designing and making decisions that still serves me today.
Q: What are some of the key lessons you learned about Community HousingWorks from your longstanding work experience?
A: There is great value in listening first and then speaking. Most importantly, in any endeavor to serve the people, instead of walking in the door believing you have all the answers or pretending to have it, you should listen first. Too many executives fall into these latter habits, which I believe pose more challenges than necessary. As long as you are all focused on the same goal, the best insurance of success is to invite the input of your partners, stakeholders, and even opponents.
What I love about Cortez Hill in downtown San Diego …
I just love Cortez. It’s an easy walk to Balboa, Little Italy, and the baseball stadium, but it’s also relatively quiet with friendly neighbors. After years in the Los Angeles suburbs, I had to go back downtown. I think I’m still a city kid at heart.
Q: In a statement announcing your election as CEO, you said that “the current public health crisis, its economic impact and the social justice movement have all shed light on the need for our society, people to be treated with kindness and dignity, and the critical importance of Community HousingWorks’ mission. ”How has the pandemic and the increased focus on social justice issues affected the way you work at CHW?
A: I think 2020 will be one of those years that history sees as critical in changing many aspects of our society. I believe people are starting to have a broader understanding of the intersection of health, economy and racial justice in this pandemic, and how these factors have spawned colored people and families who make up the majority of our residents.
Rooted in America’s social justice movements … we develop local residents and youth leaders from low-income and colorful communities. Our diversified board of directors includes both civic and business influencers, as well as executives from our own homes and neighborhoods. As a result, Community HousingWorks felt a need to respond on behalf of our residents, employees, partners, and the wider community. Therefore, in addition to long-term, permanent measures, we have taken a number of immediate measures.
Our first priority has been to ensure that our employees have access to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), COVID-19 testing, and other support services, and that our residents have access to economic aid, food, and rental support.
At the same time, our long-term Diversity, Justice and Inclusion (DEI) Initiative is not just about eliminating bias and creating a workplace that enables our BIPOC employees to lead and thrive, but also focuses on: Community HousingWorks as an engine for economic justice for BIPOC-owned companies and young people taking up housing-related employment. I am very excited about our new strategy to increase the participation of BIPOC subcontractors and general contractors in our construction projects; Identify further opportunities for us to enter into contracts and partnerships with companies owned by BIPOC; and are more aggressively recruiting our residents and residents of our housing developments into training programs that will give them a start into high-paying careers. The affordable housing sector creates billions of dollars each year and our industry colleagues are already interested in repeating our initiative.
Q: A letter from your board of directors states that advocacy is one of the key objectives of CHW’s five-year strategic plan and that your experience is seen as valuable in advocating the affordable housing organization in the state. How would you describe your commitment to affordable housing? How did it look in practice during your career?
A: What was surprising to me was that I have had some crazy bosses in the past who have enabled me to represent and represent before local elected officials and commissions, state lawmakers, U.S. officials, and senators on law and public policy matters . It was exciting, but the real work is done with their staff, with whom I often had good contact as a civil servant. This experience will serve Community HousingWorks well as we raise our voices in support of the communities we serve over the long term.
I’ve had a feeling for a long time that San Diego has a unique story to tell. How does this ethnically and politically diverse city manage to cope with its housing challenges better than most of the others? In my opinion, San Diego is a very “can-do” community that is solution and implementation-oriented. This means we can likely provide problem-solving best practices to other communities in California and across the country. My goal is for others to see San Diego for the true leader that it is.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
A: From my father, “The best lessons are those taught to others.” In other words, watch what is happening around you, and if someone makes a painful mistake, make sure you learn the lesson, too is taught to him.
Q: What would be one thing people would learn about you?
A: That I satisfy my need for speed by riding my Indian Scout Bobber motorcycle at every opportunity.
Q: Please describe your ideal weekend in San Diego.
A: Strolling a trail in Balboa Park at daybreak or taking a dip when the YMCA indoor pools are available again, a winding two-lane drive down Campo Road on the Bobber with a stop at Mission Beach on the way home, and then some sort of music – or dance event in the evening. Sleep on Sunday.
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