Karen Haycox is an experienced leader in the affordable housing space who joined Habitat for Humanity New York City as CEO in August of 2015. During her tenure at Habitat NYC, Karen has instituted a bold new vision for the organization, with a goal of increasing the number of families served through construction and preservation from 550 to 2021 by the year 2021. She has also overseen the groundbreaking of Sydney House, a 56-unit co-op in the north Bronx, which will be Habitat for Humanity’s largest single-structure, multi-family development ever built.
Previous to Habitat NYC, Karen served as Vice President, Fund Development at Southwest Solutions and held a number of senior positions with Habitat for Humanity International in Atlanta. At Habitat for Humanity International, Karen served in leadership roles on the organization’s annual Carter Work Projects and on international and domestic disaster relief efforts, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina & Rita, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Midwestern tornados in Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma as well as Superstorm Sandy.
Karen is deeply involved in New York’s LGBTQ and housing communities, including serving on the board of the Stonewall Community Development Coalition, an organization dedicated to providing New York’s LGBTQ seniors with supportive, affordable and safe housing options. She also serves on the board of the Housing Partnership, which assists in the development, promotion, and revitalization of New York City’s affordable homeownership and rental housing through an assortment of specialized programs.
Karen received her degree in Creative Cinematography, Film & Television from Humber College in Toronto, Canada, and enjoyed a successful career as a producer in advertising, film and communications before she transitioned to the affordable housing sector.
She lives in the New York City area with her dog Ripley and cat Pepper.
