Joaquín Cintrón Vega is President and CEO of Lucas Metropolitan Housing, a residential housing organization serving the Toledo, Ohio area. He began his career in Puerto Rico, and overcoming cancer early in life shaped the sense of compassion and mission he brings to his work helping people secure stable, affordable housing.
Under his leadership, LMH established a Culture of Excellence Committee built around core values of reliability, excellence, safety, passion, ethics, commitment, and teamwork, and the organization received the 2020 Ohio Auditor of State Award, an honor given to fewer than 8 percent of audited entities. He has also spearheaded the Collingwood Green Master Plan, a five-phase mixed-income redevelopment representing roughly $82 million in development costs and more than 188 completed units.
Vega secured a $450,000 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative planning grant, leveraging an additional $315,000 in funding with the potential to unlock up to $35 million in implementation grants, and developed the Park Hotel project, providing 43 units of permanent supportive housing for transition-aged youth. He sums up LMH's mission as creating sustainable, affordable housing that empowers vibrant communities.
