Ms. Leshin is a seasoned professional in affordable and supportive housing, with more than 40 years of experience implementing complex initiatives, leading teams, delivering technical assistance, designing programs, and maintaining accountability with stakeholders. She has successfully worked with federal, state, and local governments, non-profits, foundations, and residents.  She has extensive experience in providing affordable housing and improving housing security for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. As Deputy Director of the City of Oakland's Housing and Community Development Department, she developed and implemented programs that delivered $70 million in capital funding to affordable housing developments; created a new funding program to provide accelerated access to local capital and operating funding for transitional and permanent supportive housing; and launched a robust Emergency Rental Assistance Program that assisted extremely low-income households at risk of homelessness. Her past responsibilities in the nonprofit sector have included managing a housing portfolio consisting of more than a dozen SRO properties and a supportive housing development pipeline. She holds a Bachelor's degree in American Studies from Brandeis University in Massachusetts, and a Master's degree in Community Planning from Antioch University West in San Francisco.