PD&R Quarterly Update: Housing and Family Formation

Brad Wilcox, University Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project, University of Virginia

Brad Wilcox is the Melville Foundation Jefferson Scholars Foundation Distinguished University Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, Future of Freedom Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. The author of Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization (Harper Collins, 2024), Wilcox studies marriage, fatherhood, and the impact of strong and stable families on men, women, and children. His work has been featured in The Atlantic, National Review, The New York Times, and other media outlets.

 

 

Alison Bell, Acting Director, Office of Housing Voucher Programs, Public and Indian Housing

Alison Bell is the Acting Director of the Office of Housing Voucher Programs. In this role, Alison provides oversight to the financial and programmatic implementation of HUD's largest rental assistance program. Alison has worked on the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program for nearly 20 years and joined HUD in 2019. Prior to her work at HUD, Alison worked at the Atlanta Housing Authority, Nan McKay and Associates, and led the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership. Alison holds a Master's in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor's in Religious Studies and American Studies from the University of Alabama.

 

 

Patrick T. Brown, Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center

Patrick T. Brown is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where his work focuses on supporting families as the cornerstone of a healthy and flourishing society. He has published reports on the relationship between housing affordability and family formation and developing a pro-family housing agenda, and routinely consults with lawmakers and elected officials on building a more pro-family America. His writing has been published in a variety of outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Washington Post, and elsewhere, and he has spoken on college campuses and Capitol Hill on building out a robust pro-family agenda.

Prior to joining EPPC, Patrick served as a senior policy advisor to Congress' Joint Economic Committee, where he helped lead research about how to make it more affordable to raise a family and more effectively invest in youth and young adults. He is an advisory board member for the Center on Child and Family Policy, a contributing writer to The Dispatch, and a contributing editor to Public Discourse.

He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in political science and economics, and holds a Master's in Public Affairs from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He and his wife Jessica have four children and live in Columbia, S.C.

 

Eric Cochling, Chief Program Officer, Georgia Center for Opportunity

As Chief Program Officer and General Counsel, Eric Cochling is responsible for managing GCO's success sequence-focused programs and public policy efforts, while providing legal guidance to the organization. He also represents GCO in professional forums, conferences, legislative hearings, and public speeches. Eric currently helps lead two initiatives in Gwinnett County, Georgia, focused on providing stability and gainful employment for individuals struggling to find work.

Eric is a licensed attorney in the State of Georgia and received his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Georgia, where he graduated magna cum laude. He also received his juris doctorate and master's degree in public administration from Georgia State University. Before joining GCO, he was in private practice with a focus on a wide range of civil legal matters. Before going into private practice, Eric worked for a short time at a Washington, DC think tank and as a legislative assistant to a former minority leader in the Georgia State House of Representatives.

Eric has served on a variety of boards, including those for the Other Side Academy and the Georgia Cyber Academy. Eric has also served as co-chair of the Individual Rights Section of the State Bar of Georgia. Eric is active in his church, serving on the Student Ministry Council and teaching Sunday school to high school students. He was also active with his son (now an Eagle Scout) in the Boy Scouts, having served as a Cub Master, a Den Leader, and a Patrol Advisor.

In his spare time, Eric enjoys adventure racing and is active in his local F3 group – a free fitness and leadership development group for men. Eric is a proud native Georgian. He and his wife, Laura, have three children and live in Lawrenceville.

 

Tim Johnson, Senior Pastor, Orlando World Outreach Church

Tim Johnson serves as the senior pastor of Orlando World Outreach Church, a multicultural, multigenerational congregation in Orlando, Florida. With a passion for discipleship and community transformation, he has pioneered innovative ministries, overseen church plants, and led citywide outreach efforts that have impacted thousands both locally and internationally.

A former NFL defensive lineman and Super Bowl champion, Johnson co-founded the Good Samaritan Foundation, served as chaplain for the New Orleans Saints, and later launched the Orlando Serve Foundation, best known for its He Got Up! initiative that connected thousands in Central Florida to vital resources and services.

In recognition of his leadership, Johnson was named the national "Faith-Based Leader of the Year" by the John C. Maxwell Organization in 2014. He is also the founder of the Fatherless No More Initiative, founder and president of the Fatherless No More Institute, Inc., and author of the Amazon best-selling book Fatherless No More.

Tim and his wife, Le'Chelle, live in Orlando and are the proud parents of four adult children.

 

Jennifer Larson, Director, Office of Asset Management, Multifamily Housing

Jen Larson is the Director of HUD's Multifamily Office of Asset Management, responsible for policy, oversight and support of HUD's nationwide portfolio of Multifamily properties with project-based rental assistance and/or FHA-insured loans. Jen's affordable housing experience spans over 20 years, beginning with her first job out of college in property management. After working in the housing field as a property manager, asset manager and developer, she feels fortunate to have learned the business of affordable housing from multiple perspectives, as well as see firsthand the difference that quality affordable housing makes in the lives of families. She earned her master's degree in public policy at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs before joining HUD's Minneapolis field office in 2010.

After five years in roles at HUD Headquarters, in 2019 Jen became Director of Asset Management for USDA's Rural Development Multifamily housing portfolio and expanded her expert knowledge of housing policy issues and challenges to include the Section 515 program. She returned to HUD in 2023 and remains committed to operating efficient, effective programs to serve families in need of affordable housing across the country. Jen and her husband live in Silver Spring, Maryland with their three teenagers.