NAHB Mourns the Passing of Nicolas “Nick” P. Retsinas

Nicolas “Nick” P. Retsinas, a leader in local and national housing policy and advocacy, passed away last week at the age of 79.

A lifelong Rhode Islander, Retsinas lived most of his life within several miles of that childhood beginning, but his work and career took him around the globe. He held numerous major national and international postings in government, business, nonprofit and academic areas.

In 1987, Retsinas took over Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, rebuilding its reputation and portfolio, and then worked in the administration of Rhode Islander Gov. Bruce Sundlun as a key policy aide.

In 1993, Retsinas joined the Clinton administration as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration and an assistant secretary of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. The housing policy initiatives that he championed at the local level for years became part of the national housing agenda. He also served in the Treasury Department as director of the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision.

Leaving Washington in 1998, Retsinas became director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. In that role, he wrote numerous books and articles and helped produce the noted State of the Nation’s Housing report annually. He was also a member of the Harvard Business School faculty.

Simultaneously, Retsinas served as chairman of the board of Habitat for Humanity International, traveling to dozens of countries to advocate for the nonprofit housing organization’s philosophy of building homes through community and homeowner support. He was also a longtime board member of Freddie Mac and the Center for Responsible Lending.

Following his retirement, Harvard University created the Nicolas P. and Joan B. Retsinas Endowed Faculty Director position to serve as the Joint Housing Center’s leader moving forward. The first recipient of the endowed position was named in the fall of 2026.

Retsinas volunteered on numerous local, national and international boards, including tenures as chairman of the Providence Housing Authority and Rhode Island Housing. He was inducted into the National Housing Hall of Fame and received an honorary doctorate in public service from Rhode Island College.

“Nick never lost sight of the families behind the numbers,” shared NAHB CEO Jim Tobin. “Whether at HUD or Harvard, he brought rigor and decency to every housing debate. We were proud to induct him into the National Housing Hall of Fame in 2003. And we will miss him.”

He is survived by his wife, Joan, daughters Amy (Romero) and Jennifer, son Gregory, sister Paulette and his five grandchildren.