Salem Housing Authority leader retiring amid medical concerns, homeless program issues

Andy Wilch, the Salem Housing Authority leader who oversaw the launch of the city's homeless rental assistance program, will retire in September after a decade with the organization.

Wilch also facilitated the construction of more than 15,000 units of affordable housing over the course of his career, according to city officials.

"I am grateful to have spent the last ten years with this organization and deeply honored to have had the opportunity to make a direct impact on the lives of Salem residents," Wilch said in a statement.

"I am very proud of the talent, dedication and passion the entire Salem Housing Authority brings to this work and what we have accomplished together during a decade of both successes and challenges," he said.

The announcement comes as funding for Salem's signature effort to help the homeless has come under scrutiny.

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City officials are considering how to reduce their financial obligation to the program, which has helped more than 100 homeless get off the streets and into housing since it started in 2017.

Wilch signaled last year there may be rough roads ahead for the rental assistance program, unveiling an effort to drum up private support through donations. Salem in 2017 had allocated $1.4 million to the program, and that contribution remained the same under the city's next budget.

"Beyond that, there's no guarantees," Wilch said last year. "We know that we need to find other funding streams."

Indeed, Salem has since proposed halving its allocation to the rental assistance program, a move the city manager has defended as a financial commitment in line with available housing supply.

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Wilch has worked for the Housing Authority since August of 2009, and his salary is $117,915, according to city spokesman Kenny Larson.

Wilch was placed on administrative leave in February, according to a letter obtained by the Statesman Journal through a public records request. Larson said the leave was related to a medical condition.

Wilch's leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act went into effect in early April, Larson said. Wilch is currently on leave.

Urban Development Director Kristin Retherford now oversees the Housing Authority.

Jonathan Bach has been a business and City Hall reporter with the Statesman Journal since 2016. To support his work, Subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Email him at jbach@statesmanjournal.com, call (503) 399-6714 or follow him on Twitter @jonathanmbach.