New Haven Hired Two New City Staff Members

The city filled two key roles tasked with supporting vulnerable residents in New Haven.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in People

New Haven Hired Two New City Staff Members

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New Haven recently appointed Christina McMillan as director of community resilience and Kelly Craft as coordinator for the Office of Housing and Homeless Services. The hires follow a recruitment process to fill leadership positions left vacant earlier this year.

Why it matters

The city added staff to these roles to ensure continuity in programs and policy strategies intended to support individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, or substance use.

Kelly Craft brings 1 decade of professional experience serving vulnerable individuals to the coordinator role. The director of community resilience position had been vacant since June 2026, while the coordinator position remained open since April 2026.

The players

Christina McMillan

She serves as the new director of community resilience and previously worked as chief program officer at the Chrysalis Center.

Kelly Craft

She is the new coordinator for the Office of Housing and Homeless Services, having previously directed the Coordinated Access Network for the Middlesex, Meriden, and Wallingford region.

Justin Elicker

He is the Mayor of New Haven who oversaw the recruitment process and announced the new personnel appointments.

The details

Mayor Justin Elicker announced the appointments following a formal recruitment process to secure leadership for city-wide social support services. McMillan and Craft will oversee the development of policies and programs aimed at reducing homelessness and assisting those facing complex health challenges.

April 2026: The role of coordinator for the Office of Housing and Homeless Services became vacant.
June 2026: The director of community resilience position became vacant.
October 5, 2026: Kelly Craft started in her new city position.
October 13, 2026: Christina McMillan started in her new city position.

Market Landscape

These appointments reflect a broader trend of local governments prioritizing stable leadership to manage social infrastructure. By filling these long-standing vacancies, the city aims to strengthen its administrative capacity against the persistent challenges of homelessness and community health.

Residents seeking city assistance related to housing or homelessness may experience more consistent coordination as these roles are no longer vacant. The new leadership is expected to streamline policy strategies that impact the availability and quality of local social support services.

The takeaway

The addition of new leadership indicates a renewed municipal focus on addressing social vulnerabilities through structured administrative oversight. Residents can anticipate updated policy efforts regarding homelessness mitigation in the coming months.