Angela Jiménez stands where Daniel Brooks Homes once stood and sees something no one expected. Legacy Ridge rose in its place. Former residents returned to witness what transformation actually looks like.
“Without question, it’s standing on the grounds of what used to be Daniel Brooks Homes and seeing Legacy Ridge come to life,” she says. “Watching former residents come back to see a place once marked by hardship transformed into a thriving, mixed-income community. That’s the definition of expanding legacy for me.”
Angela Jimenez grew up in Public Housing in High Point and knows the weight of those stereotypes.
She’s spent her career proving them wrong. Since 2010, she’s been running the Housing Authority of the City of High Point as its first female CEO in the agency’s history, which dates back to January 4, 1940. She’s also the first former program participant to lead it.
That’s not a footnote. That’s the whole point.
The Housing Authority of the City of High Point operates 900 Public Housing units and administers 1,872 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. It also manages 101 Section 8 New Construction units Add it up, and you’re looking at more than 3,000 housing opportunities in a city where affordable housing remains one of the most pressing needs.
But Jiménez wants to flip the script on what Public Housing means. She calls it a transition station, not a permanent location.
Jiménez identifies the biggest myth as the idea that Public Housing is just "the last stop." She explains that Public Housing is actually the starting line for many, providing stability that helps families build better futures.
The agency demonstrates achievement through its programs: The Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency Program has enabled families to gain economic independence. The Section 8 Homeownership Program has supported clients in transitioning to homeownership. The Comprehensive Housing Counseling and Homeownership Program has helped participants build financial literacy skills and homeownership.
Then there’s Project SOAR: Students plus Opportunities plus Achievements equals Results. The program assists Public Housing youth ages 15 to 20 with tutoring, FAFSA completion, financial literacy, college applications, and post-acceptance support.
Seeds-to-Success Program integrates youth development, mentorship, financial literacy, and leadership training into a single program. The program has enabled participants to gain confidence, improve their financial skills, and take on leadership roles. Some people thought it was too ambitious.
Jiménez addresses questions about sustaining ambitious programs by crediting partnerships, persistence, and a belief in the community's children as the answer—approaches that consistently pay off.
Jiménez didn’t take a straight path to this role. She earned her high school diploma in Gainesville, Florida. Received a certification from Brookstone College. Served in the U.S. Army. Then, she attended High Point University for both her bachelor’s degree in science and her MBA.
In 2003, she joined the Housing Authority of the City of High Point in various roles before becoming Chief Operating Officer. She left for a stint as Executive Director of the Rockingham Housing Authority and came back in November 2010 to take the CEO position.
She’s stacked her credentials since then, earning HUD certifications in Public Housing and Section 8, as well as in tax credit and mixed-finance programs. She holds the Housing Development Finance Professional designation and North Carolina licenses as a Realtor and Real Estate Broker in Charge. She is a Certified Property Manager, Accredited Residential Manager, and a graduate of the REALTOR Institute. Additionally, she is a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor, a North Carolina Workforce Specialist, and a Notary. These credentials underscore her expertise and achievement in housing, finance, and real estate.
The list goes on, but what she wishes she could tell her younger self on day one isn’t about credentials.
Jiménez shares that carrying people's stories home is not a burden, but a privilege. She believes this privilege motivates her to continue fighting for change in her work.
One of those stories involves a mother and a graduation announcement. Years earlier, the family had gone through crisis after crisis. The Housing Authority worked with them to maintain stability. Then the daughter graduated.
For Jiménez, seeing that young woman walk across the stage to receive her diploma was a moment of tears, laughter, and pure joy all at once.
The Housing Authority of the City of High Point doesn’t just manage housing. It operates three subsidiaries that extend its reach.
Low Income Housing Opportunities, Inc., known as LIHO, is a nonprofit that acquires and develops housing to low-income residents in High Point. Its focus is on providing eligible families and individuals with housing, economic advancement, and homeownership opportunities.
Empowering Lives and Building Foundations, Inc., or ELBF, runs educational, charitable, and support programs. It helps participants in affordable housing assistance programs achieve self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life through economic and educational services.
High Point Economic Opportunities, Inc., or HPEO, is the for-profit arm. It acquires, constructs, develops, and operates affordable housing properties. It also fosters mixed-income housing that includes low-income units.
The agency’s structure reflects its broader mission. Provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing to low-income residents and create pathways out of poverty.
Public Housing was established to offer safe rental housing for eligible low-income inidviudals and families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The Housing Authority manages units in various configurations, including one- to five-bedroom units, garden apartments, duplexes, townhomes, and high-rises.
The Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Program provides qualifying elderly and disabled residents with supportive services to help them live independently and maintain a high quality of life.
Youth Services lays the foundation for the youth participants' financial independence. Family Self-Sufficiency provides career guidance, employment and education counseling, and financial coaching.
The agency also administers the Public Housing Capital Fund Program, an Affordable Housing Program, an Upward Mobility Program, and Resident and Supportive Services.
The Housing Authority of the City of High Point was chartered as a nonprofit corporation under General Statutes, Article 157 of the State of North Carolina. It operates in accordance with regulations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the terms of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937.
A seven-member board of commissioners governs the agency.
Angela Jiménez has served on numerous commissions and boards over the years. She chaired the City of High Point Human Relations Commission. Served as Vice Chair of the Total Family Focus Board. Sat on boards that include, but not limited to, the YWCA of Greater High Point, High Point University Alumni Association, American Red Cross High Point-Thomasville Chapter, Partners Ending Homelessness, and the Carolina Council of Code and Redevelopment Officials.
She formerly served on the CCHRCO Legislative Committee, the City of High Point Planning and Zoning Commission, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, United Way of Greater High Point, and the Southeastern Regional Council-National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials Legislative Committee.
Her awards include the 2009 Business Woman Extraordinaire of High Point, 2010 Women Pioneers of the Triad, 2010 Business Leader, Carl Chavis YMCA 2012 Minority Achievers’ Corporate Executive, and 2010 Triad Movers and Shakers. She’s a 2010 Pillars of Fame honoree, recognized in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and a graduate of Leadership High Point and City Government 101.
She’s also a member of the National Association of Female Executives.
Ask Angela Jiménez what she’d build with $50 million and a reimagined neighborhood, and the answer comes fast.
Jiménez says she would start with a multi-use community hub that combines affordable housing, job-training facilities, childcare, and small-business incubators. She would collaborate with the City of High Point, Laurel Street, federal partners, and most importantly, residents themselves to co-design it.
That approach defines her leadership. Residents aren’t just recipients, they’re partners.
When asked to describe the Housing Authority’s personality, she doesn’t hesitate.
Jiménez describes HPHA’s personality as relentless encouragement: empathetic yet firm, always refusing to let people settle for less.
The team celebrates small wins with shoutouts at meetings and handwritten notes. Sometimes they just take a quiet moment to acknowledge what they accomplished that day. Frontline staff, from housing specialists to maintenance workers, often become the MVPs when things get tough.
If Jiménez were on a TEDx stage in High Point, her message would be clear.
“Housing isn’t just a roof over your head,” she says. “It’s hope. It’s health. It’s education. It’s an opportunity. If we get housing right, we unlock everything else. Never underestimate the power of where someone lays their head at night.”
The Housing Authority of the City of High Point turns 86 this year. Jiménez describes the agency’s current energy with a fire emoji: new ideas, new developments, and a relentless drive to break old cycles.
The momentum is real, and for someone who grew up in the very system she now leads, that’s not just professional pride. It’s personal proof that Public Housing can be the place where everything changes.
