The Burnaby Housing Authority, the City of Burnaby’s new municipal housing corporation, has appointed John Brendan McEown as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer, STOREYS has learned.
McEown, who started in the role on Friday, May 9, joins the Burnaby Housing Authority (BHA) via BC Housing, the provincial housing corporation, where he earned extensive experience leading affordable housing development through provincial partnerships and public-sector collaboration.
After joining BC Housing in 2016 as a Development Manager, McEown was elevated to Senior Development Manager, then Director of Regional Development, then finally Associate Vice President of Development Strategies.
During his time at BC Housing, McEown oversaw the delivery of more than 9,000 units of affordable housing and secured approvals for another 8,000 units across British Columbia. His experiences include complex financing, rezoning, stakeholder partnerships, working with agencies such as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and project delivery.
John Brendan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and land economics from Quest University before completing his Master of Urban Studies at Simon Fraser University.
The City of Burnaby first revealed its intention to create a municipal housing corporation in June 2023. The Burnaby Housing Authority will acquire, develop, operate, and administer housing in a model similar to other public housing agencies or private developers. Its stated primary focus will be non-market housing — a key difference from the City of Vancouver’s Housing Development Office, which has been criticized for its focus on market rental housing — although the City has acknowledged it may become involved in market rental housing if the revenue generated can contribute towards its non-market objectives.
The Burnaby Housing Authority was officially incorporated in Spring 2024, with a 10-person Board of Directors announced by the City in July 2024. The Board comprises three members of Council, one member of City staff, and six external directors:
- Council: Mike Hurley, Mayor
- Council: Alison Gu
- Council: Daniel Tetrault
- City: Noreen Kassam, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer & Chief Financial Officer
- External Chair: Aubrey Kelly, President & CEO, UBC Properties Trust
- External: Ian Cullis, Vice President of Sustainability, LandlordBC
- External: Lilian Kan, Director of Development Management, Colliers
- External: Stephani Baker, Vice President of Development and Communications, Team Rubicon
- External: Andrew Tong, Managing Director, Integral Strategic Real Estate Ltd.
- External: Michael Leroux, Partner at Richards Buell Sutton LLP
Among other things, the Board was responsible for hiring the CEO, with the search being led by Richard Costello of HighView Partners, a recruitment solutions firm specializing in the real estate industry across Canada. (The job posting can be viewed here.)
The creation of the Burnaby Housing Authority, as well as its early activities, was partially funded by the $43 million granted to the City via the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
“John Brendan’s appointment marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for the Burnaby Housing Authority,” said Board Chair Aubrey Kelly. “He brings the right blend of public housing leadership, development expertise, and long-term vision to build the foundation for a generational shift in how we deliver housing in Burnaby. We are thrilled to welcome him to this critical role.”
Earlier this year, Council authorized the City to enter into a partnering agreement that will see the BHA receive operational funding for a term of five years. That funding consists of $2 million per year, plus $475,000 in start-up costs in the first year, as previously reported by STOREYS.
In the immediate future, McEown will now work towards filling out the staff and securing office space for the Burnaby Housing Authority.