Katie

Kitchin

State and Local Director, Housing & Asset Building

Katie Kitchin brings more than 25 years of expertise in housing and human services policy that advances the overall well-being of people and communities. She is a subject matter expert in housing finance/development, technical assistance and training, homelessness, justice, and child welfare housing interventions. At Abt, she directs the company’s state and local housing strategy, and partners with clients, local agencies, and organizations on business development and growth opportunities.

Through her technical assistance and implementation work, Kitchin has led and developed policies and programs that deliver results. Prior to joining Abt, Kitchin was the Director of the Corporation for Supportive Housing’s (CSH) Ohio office, where she led state and local housing policy and initiatives in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Before her role at CSH, she served as the Executive Director of the Community Alliance for the Homeless, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program for Memphis/Shelby County, TN. In this key role, she developed and implemented the Memphis and Shelby County Mayors' Plan to End Homelessness, reducing homelessness by 20 percent and chronic homelessness by 39 percent. While there, she established a new community planning process that significantly increased participation and transparency over the CoC, and increased revenues and community funding for homelessness response activities.

Partnering with the state of Ohio’s government and a managed care company, Kitchin designed and launched a statewide supportive housing program targeting individuals exiting prison with histories of homelessness and substance use disorders. The program led to a 75-percent reduction in three-year recidivism rates to state prison. As the Director of the Office to End Homelessness in Norfolk, VA, Kitchin developed and implemented the city’s 10-year plan to end homelessness, resulting in a 25-percent reduction in homelessness. She also led the development and redesign of a central intake and rapid rehousing program for families experiencing homelessness, and the state of Virginia’s first Housing First program for people with serious mental illness. Kitchin also worked in policy/legislative roles for the Governor of Pennsylvania and served as key legislative staff on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Services, focused on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child welfare programs.

Kitchin is a board member of both Bethany House Services and New Life Properties and Lighthouse Youth and Family Services. She previously served as a member of the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ National Leadership Council.

Expertise:

Local and state housing policy program development
Supportive housing interventions to address justice, homeless, child welfare, and behavioral health needs