Ferndale Housing Commission Promotes Emily Tong to Director
(Crystal A. Proxmire, May 10, 2023)
Ferndale, MI – After an extensive search process, the Ferndale Housing Commission has made the decision to promote from within, announcing the selection of Emily Tong to the Executive Director Position.
Tong has been with the FHC for 18 years, in a career that’s given her a taste of both the hardest of times, and the most transformative of changes. She served as interim director both before the hiring of Heather VanPoucker, and more recently in the months since she moved on to a position elsewhere.
FHC Board Member Reggie Sutherland introduced Tong to the Ferndale City Council at their May 8, 2023 meeting, stating that “She is well-liked,” and “well-knowledgeable.”
When not working as Interim Director, Tong was most recently the Property Manager, who, according to the FHC website “is responsible for the day-to-day operations, compliance, and administrative duties associated with our public housing program.” She also administered the Section 8 program.
“Emily has a Bachelor’s Degree from Central Michigan University in Land Use Planning and Environmental Analysis and a Master’s Degree from Wayne State University in Urban Planning. She has been with FHC since 2005 and has undertaken a variety of different roles in her time with the agency. She holds several professional certifications in public housing and serves as secretary for the Michigan Chapter of NAHRO, a national professional association,” the website states.
The FHC is located in Ferndale but serves clients throughout Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties. Because they’re headquartered in Ferndale, the Board is made up of Ferndale residents appointed by the City Council, but the commission owns the properties, manages the programs, and makes the decisions. There are 166 homes, including apartments in Autumn House and Withington West, as well as houses throughout the city. Plus they administer about 900 vouchers in the tri-county area.
Prior to the pandemic, FHC had been going through a process called a RAD conversion that would have allowed for restructuring their portfolio of properties to maximize space and the use of their assets. However, with COVID slowing things down and a new administration in Washington, there are even more options housing commissions can explore.
“I started as a grad student and I got very comfortable and never left,” Tong stated at the council meeting. “Housing is my passion and I am excited to continue the great work our previous Executive Director did, and partner with the city to maintain affordable high quality housing, and expand our affordable housing stock in the near future.”
Learn more about Ferndale Housing Commission at http://ferndalehousing.com/.