Joshua D. Collen

Josh Collen has over 25 years of experience creating high quality mixed-income and affordable housing communities. As President of HRI Communities, he leads the project identification and development activities with a focus on delivering innovative and efficient housing that has a catalytic impact on surrounding neighborhoods. Josh also ensures that HRI Communities operates as a comprehensive, vertically integrated group of companies delivering transformative results in urban redevelopment, including design, development finance, construction management, and long-term property management and compliance services.

Since he joined HRI in 2006, Josh has led his incredible colleagues to deliver numerous prestigious, large-scale development projects resulting in over $1 billion of investment into underserved neighborhoods and blighted buildings. Josh brings a variety of valuable experience to HRI Communities, having worked at the Richman Group, America’s seventh-largest apartment rental owner, and the Michaels Development Company, which specializes in developing transformative, urban, master-planned communities. He also worked for Community Preservation and Development Corporation, a nonprofit focused on redevelopment and sustainable housing, and the AFL-CIO Housing and Building Investment Trusts.

Josh holds a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Cornell University and a B.A. in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois.

Josh also serves as the 2026 President of the Board of the Louisiana Association of Affordable Housing Providers (LAAHP), a statewide industry trade group with a broad array of members, including non-profit developers, for-profit developers, lenders, investors, management companies, market analysts, accountants, lawyers, attorneys, and financial advisors.