By Matt Bittle

DOVER — Anas Ben Addi, head of the Delaware State Housing Authority since 2009, is leaving the agency to join Delaware State University.

State officials announced Friday that Mr. Ben Addi will become DSU’s new chief financial officer.

He will be replaced as head of housing by Eugene Young, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League.

“I know Eugene well and I know he’s committed to strengthening the City of Wilmington and communities across Delaware, which is at the core of DSHA’s mission,” Gov. John Carney said in a statement.

“He is the ideal candidate to take on this position and I’m confident he will build on progress to make affordable, safe housing accessible for all Delawareans. I also want to thank Director Ben Addi, who led DSHA through the foreclosure crisis in 2009 and has broadened the agency’s mission to include community and economic development efforts statewide. His leadership will be missed, and we wish him well at DSU.”

Mr. Ben Addi is one of the two longest-tenured agency chiefs — along with Department of State Secretary Jeff Bullock, he has served in the cabinet position since 2009. First appointed by then-Gov. Jack Markell, he was selected to continue heading DSHA when Gov. Carney took office in 2017.

“I am excited to be joining the Delaware State University community, and especially happy to accept this role in mobilizing and managing the resources that America’s most diverse, contemporary HBCU is using to have an impact on so many young lives and with so many social and economic issues that have been my passion for years,” Mr. Ben Addi said in a statement.

As DSHA director, he has helped establish a rental-assistance program to help low-income Delawareans and an initiative aimed at boosting development in municipalities throughout the state. Under his leadership, Delaware “effectively” ended veteran homelessness, per DSHA.

A native of Morocco, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from Wilmington University.

“Our future depends on innovation, excellence and stability in every corner of our institution. This is particularly important in the primary area where we determine how best to deploy and optimize our resources,” Delaware State University President Dr. Tony Allen wrote in a letter to the DSU community.

“I am expecting Anas to provide that leadership as CFO. He has an impressive track record of digging in and getting things done the right way. At DSHA, he has successfully managed over $1 billion in financial and physical assets, $300 million in annual program funds, and 150 employees.

“Critically, Anas brings more than financial management savvy to the university. He is deeply committed to the same causes of social justice and economic reform that our faculty, staff, and students are already pursuing.”

Mr. Young, who has led the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League since 2017, also founded the grassroots nonprofit Network Delaware. The Senate is expected to consider his nomination June 23.