Catherine Buell
Up until her resignation in late March, Catherine Buell had been at the helm of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, an ambitious $2 billion commitment by the internet giant to address housing issues in the communities where its employee live and work.
Tony Powell
“To date, we have committed to creating and preserving over 12,700 affordable homes, so we are well on target to be able to meet our 20,000-unit goal and get all 20,000 affordable housing units in service at the end of our five-year funding commitment,” she says.
The Housing Equity Fund primarily provides critical gap financing through low-rate loans and grants to developers, public agencies, and minority-led organizations. It’s focusing on projects in Washington’s Puget Sound area, the Arlington, Virginia region, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Amazon’s effort is a big-time example of a corporation investing in affordable housing to make meaningful changes in its hometown communities.
Buell took on her role as director of the fund after holding several other housing and community leadership positions. She launched her career as an attorney representing developers and investors going into real estate funds or directly buying or developing real estate assets. She’s also served as president and CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority and vice president of policy and programs for the Greater Washington Partnership, a civic alliance of CEOs in the Washington, D.C., region before becoming director of the Housing Equity Fund.
She cites several traits that have helped her most during her career.
“One of the leadership principles at Amazon is ‘learn and be curious,’” she says. “A curiosity about community redevelopment and affordable housing issues has been key. Being curious about what was happening in my community, understanding how to negotiate, attention to detail, and perseverance have all helped.”
Buell serves on the boards of Women of Color in Community Development as well as Community of Hope, a nonprofit providing housing and services to homeless and low-income families in Washington, D.C.
