NYSPHADA congratulates William J. Simmons, Esq. upon his retirement from the Syracuse Housing Authority after 19 years as Executive Director, and thanks him for his years of service as President of NYSPHADA.
Bill Simmons leaves an outstanding legacy, not only in Syracuse where he expanded the City’s public housing agency with new and innovative initiatives, but statewide as he led NYSPHADA’s efforts to keep public housing policy front and center for all New Yorkers.
A native of the Bronx, Simmons has called Syracuse home since 1975. His service to the City is long and varied, ranging from Director of Airport Services at Hancock International Airport from 1986 to 1994, Commissioner for the Syracuse School District from 1989 to 1994, and Syracuse Common Councilor representing the Fifth District from 2000 to 2008.
But it was in the provision of public housing that Bill made a special mark, joining the Syracuse Housing Authority in 2006 as Assistant Executive Director and becoming Executive Director in 2007 until his recent retirement.
Bill took the Syracuse Housing Authority beyond its traditional role by advancing large-scale redevelopment, preservation, and affordable housing initiatives that have strengthened neighborhoods throughout Syracuse.
Whether it was construction of the $12.3 million 50 Homes of Syracuse that created home ownership opportunities, the $7.2 million rehabilitation of the 48 unit Leonard Buildings, or the $15.4 million groundbreaking LEED Gold Certified mixed-income community developed in partnership with the Center for Community Alternatives, Bill was in the forefront of expanding housing opportunity.
Responsible for nearly 2,500 public housing and affordable housing units and nearly 4,000 Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) Simmons led the $106.6 million rehabilitation of Almus Olver Towers, preserving 191 affordable apartments for seniors and individuals with disabilities through a comprehensive modernization effort. In 2025, SHA finalized the acquisition of Eastwood Heights from the City of Syracuse, securing the long-term future of the historic senior housing community.
A major achievement came in 2024 when SHA and the City of Syracuse were awarded New York State’s first-ever U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, a $50 million award that serves as the foundation for a $1.2 billion neighborhood transformation that will replace aging public housing with more than 1,400 mixed-income homes while creating new infrastructure, community amenities, educational opportunities, and economic investment.
Bill Simmons leaves an outstanding legacy in the history of public housing and neighborhood renewal in Syracuse, and as a statewide voice to provide public housing in every corner of the State of New York. For that the members of NYSPHADA are most grateful.
