Brigitta Mac-Rizzo’s work in housing began at a young age, assisting her parents as they collected rent from their tenants. Raised in a family with a strong real estate background, she took real estate classes at age 19, and began teaching some of her friends on how to map out their path to homeownership. Her journey from taking real estate classes to becoming Executive Director of the Jackson County Housing Authority is a testament to her dedication to making housing more accessible and empowering individuals to achieve financial stability. We are excited to now introduce Brigitta as one of the newest members of our Board of Directors.
After attending a housing counseling seminar, Brigitta realized she had found her true calling and began volunteering after work and on the weekends with her local housing counseling agencies. After years of working in various roles at the New Haven Housing Authority in Connecticut, Brigitta moved to Illinois in 2019 to be the Executive Director of the Jackson County Housing Authority (JCHA), where she continues to use her real estate expertise to navigate the intersections of public housing and the private sector.
She says, “I want to change the world, one person at a time. It doesn’t have to be big. Changing the world one person at a time has a ripple effect that you sometimes don’t even see… I’m here to teach people that we can only do better when we know better, and that’s what drives me.”
Brigitta Mac-Rizzo, Executive Director of Jackson County Housing Authority
With her background in real estate and leadership role in public housing, Brigitta brings a unique perspective on how affordable housing can be integrated with opportunities for self-sufficiency and financial independence. Her approach has included modernizing housing portfolios at JCHA and working with other agencies to meet the needs of vulnerable residents.
For Brigitta, home isn’t just a physical space—it’s about security and stability. She describes her ideal home as a place where individuals can feel safe physically and mentally, as well as empowered to grow. Her own experience with overcoming challenges, like fixing her credit to purchase her own home, shapes her approach to helping others do the same.
Brigitta believes it is critical to increase investments in federal and local affordable housing initiatives. She envisions these investments helping housing authorities modernize properties, expand housing portfolios, and offer more robust financial literacy and self-sufficiency programs to empower families and individuals. “The more we invest in these programs, the more we can break the cycle of poverty and create lasting opportunities for the next generation.”
“Public housing is not just about providing shelter—it’s about creating opportunities…supporting public housing means supporting the potential for individuals and families to thrive.”