Kenzie Bok

Kenzie Bok has led the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) since her appointment by Mayor Michelle Wu in August 2023. Under her leadership, the BHA is focused on aggressive goals to go fossil-fuel-free, preserve and increase its total supply of deeply affordable units, and develop greater housing density on public land. The BHA is also a leader in economic mobility programs for residents. Bok previously served two terms as Boston City Councilor for District 8, chairing the committees on Ways & Means, PILOT, Boston’s Covid-19 Recovery, and City Services & Innovation Technology. In housing policy, she drove more funding to city vouchers and homeownership, co-authored Boston’s novel Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing zoning amendment, led the repeal of parking minimums for majority-affordable developments, and spearheaded the appropriation process for Boston’s American Rescue Plan funds, including more than $250 million for affordable housing programs. Bok was also instrumental in the creation of PowerCorpsBOS, Boston’s new green jobs program. Bok graduated from Harvard College and earned her MPhil and Ph.D. in the history of philosophy at Cambridge University (St John’s College) as a Marshall Scholar. She formerly held a lectureship at Harvard, teaching seminars on the philosopher John Rawls, “Justice in Housing”, and “Politics: Theory & Practice”.