SAN FRANCISCO (October 8, 2024) – BRIDGE Housing Board Chairman Kenneth M. Novack announced today that respected land use and environmental attorney Jennifer L. Hernandez has joined the Board of Directors at BRIDGE Housing, the leading nonprofit affordable housing developer and manager on the West Coast.
Ms. Hernandez is a San Francisco-based partner at Holland & Knight, where she leads the firm’s West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. She has more than 30 years of experience in land use and environmental law and is a widely respected advocate for affordable housing and an expert on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and housing development in California.
Ms. Hernandez works on a range of projects in California communities, including mixed-use housing and commercial development, transportation and infrastructure, renewable energy, and local agency plan and ordinance updates. She has authored four books and more than 50 articles on environmental and land use topics.
“We are delighted to welcome Jennifer Hernandez to BRIDGE’s Board of Directors, where she will be a valuable voice of experience and authority on a wide range of issues, especially related to the California housing landscape,” said BRIDGE Housing President and CEO Ken Lombard. “Jennifer is a fierce advocate for the same values and priorities that motivate us at BRIDGE, and we are fortunate to benefit from her expertise and commitment.”
As a Board Member, Mr. Hernandez will help guide the 41-year-old nonprofit organization, a leader in providing safe, stable and affordable housing in California, Oregon and Washington. BRIDGE has a $3.5 billion portfolio comprising nearly 14,000 affordable units in 55 cities. Together these communities have more than 30,000 residents, who also receive support services. More than 5,000 additional units are in the development pipeline.
“I have dedicated much of my career to improving access to reliable affordable housing for families and individuals, which is the keystone in people’s lives that makes so many other values possible,” Ms. Hernandez said. “BRIDGE is an acknowledged housing leader on the West Coast, and I am excited to be part of this remarkable organization.”
Ms. Hernandez has been named a California Lawyer of the Year by the State Bar of California, and in 2002 former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown declared a “Jennifer Hernandez Day” in honor of her work to restore and redevelop former industrial lands. Ms. Hernandez serves on the Leadership Council of The Two Hundred for Homeownership and the Board of the Building Industry Association of the Bay Area, among other leadership positions.
Before beginning her career in land use law, Ms. Hernandez clerked for the National Labor Relations Board. She earned a B.A. from Harvard University and her J.D. from Stanford Law School.
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