CalHFA announces Tony Sertich as new executive director

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that Tony Sertich is the new executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

Sertich most recently served as the assistant deputy director for the division of state financial assistance at the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

He’s also served at CalHFA before as its financing risk manager, director of multifamily programs, and director of enterprise risk management and compliance between 2005 and 2018.

After his first tenure at CalHFA, Sertich served as State Controller Betty Yee’s top housing adviser from 2019 to 2022 and represented her on the boards of the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.

“Mr. Sertich knows CalHFA and, even more importantly, knows the state’s housing finance ecosystem from nearly every perspective,” CalHFA Board Chair Jim Cervantes said in a statement. “With CalHFA and its sister agencies moving into a new era under the umbrella of the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, Mr. Sertich’s experience and expertise will be invaluable.”

Per a release from the agency, CalHFA helped 7,000 first-time and first-generation homebuyers in the last fiscal year. It financed more than 2,700 affordable housing units with its lending and bond issuance activities during that same period.

The agency, which recently received the highest credit rating in CalHFA’s 50-year history, also reported that it’s administering disaster relief for mortgage holders and support for housing counseling.

“With CalHFA’s financial strength expanding its ability to adjust to the dynamic housing market, and California’s housing finance system reorganization opening up even more ways to create much-needed housing opportunities, this Agency will be able to shine in the coming years,” Sertich said. “I’m excited to be part of CalHFA’s growth.”

“I look forward to Tony’s leadership as we continue our important work,” added Rebecca Franklin, CalHFA’s chief deputy director. “With CalHFA celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Tony is the perfect leader to guide the Agency into the next half century.”