• Key Insight: After leaving government service, Nic Retsinas was a leader in affordable housing
• Expert Quote: "It was an honor for me to work with Nic." — Scott OlsonOverview bullets generated by AI with editorial review.

Nicolas Retsinas, a former Clinton administration housing official, passed away on Nov. 4 after an extended illness; he was 79 years old.Details of his passing come from golocalprov.com, a website for his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, as well as an online obituary.

In 1987, Retsinas became head of the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp., a position he occupied until 1993. Later, he would return to become its board chair from 2015 through 2020.

A statement posted on LinkedIn by the organization now known as RIHousing noted Retsinas "helped our agency start a new chapter. His impact is still present today in our work as a leading housing resource for Rhode Islanders, and his legacy will live on in the organizations, communities, and people he affected."

Pres. Bill Clinton named Retsinas to be his Federal Housing Commissioner in 1993; in 1996, under the Vacancy Act, Clinton appointed him interim director of the Office of Thrift Supervision.

Retsinas held the FHA post until 1998, at which time he left government service to become director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.

In his post-government service life, he would take board positions at the Center for Responsible Lending, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Federal Housing Finance Board, Freddie Mac, and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., among other organizations. In addition, Retsinas was the chair of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity International. He was inducted into the National Housing Hall of Fame.

"Nic Retsinas believed that everyone deserved access to affordable, decent housing in thriving communities, and spent his professional life working to make that a reality," said Mike Calhoun, president of CRL, said in a press release. "He championed policy initiatives to address critical housing and community development needs. He also was a generous friend and mentor to many in the housing community."

Retsinas' reforms while serving as FHA commissioner paved the way for the agency's critical role in preserving homeownership during the 2008 housing crisis, a statement from Scott Olson, executive director of the Community Home Lenders of America, said.

"His commitment to affordable housing was evident in his enthusiasm for the cause, his record of public service, and his leadership at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies," Olson said. "It was an honor for me to work with Nic.  He will be sorely missed."

At the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Retsinas and his wife Joan endowed the Nicolas P. and Joan B. Retsinas Faculty Directorship, to ensure it will always be led by an eminent housing practitioner or scholar, the Center said in a LinkedIn post.

"We are deeply saddened to share that Nic Retsinas, who led our Center from 1998 to 2010, has passed away," the post said. "Nic was a tireless advocate for inclusive, equitable housing policy, and his vision continues to shape our work."

According to an online obituary, Retsinas is survived by his wife Joan; his children Amy Romero (Andrew), Jennifer Retsinas and Gregory Retsinas (Julie); and his sister Paulette Retsinas, along with five grandchildren.