Chicago Construction News staff writer
The Chicago Residential Investment Fund (CRIF) has named Tim Jeffries as its new chief executive officer following a national search aimed at strengthening the organization’s role in building mixed-income housing through its Green Social Housing (GSH) model.
Jeffries joins CRIF from the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development, where he most recently served as managing deputy commissioner in the Bureau of Economic Development. In that role, he oversaw real estate and economic development initiatives and managed a broad portfolio of public and private development projects across the city.
CRIF is an independent Illinois nonprofit created by city ordinance to advance the development of permanently affordable, low-carbon, mixed-income housing. The organization operates the Green Social Housing model, a financing approach designed to support long-term affordability while reinvesting returns into future housing projects.
Under the model, CRIF will own and operate developments, with revenues recycled into additional projects or used to deepen affordability. The initiative is backed by $135 million in funding from the city’s $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development Bond.
The organization’s mandate is to move projects through the development pipeline more quickly while maintaining public accountability and governance standards, with an emphasis on scalable housing delivery.
Jeffries will be responsible for overseeing CRIF’s early-stage housing pipeline, advancing project delivery, and expanding the organization’s capacity to support new developments across Chicago.
His selection followed a national recruitment process conducted by Maneva Group, which consulted with industry experts and community stakeholders. More than 200 candidates were considered, with a final shortlist that included both local and national applicants before Jeffries was selected after multiple rounds of interviews.
CRIF board representatives said his background in managing large-scale development programs and incentive structures within the city’s planning system positioned him to lead the organization as it moves into its first major development phase.
