Francine Washington was appointed to the Chicago Housing Authority Board of Commissioners in June 2014.
A longtime and respected voice in the Chicago resident leadership community, Washington is the President of the Central Advisory Council, and is also President of the Washington Park Local Advisory Committee. She also serves on many other important Boards in the City, including the Bronzeville Alliance, the National Public Housing Museum, and has served as at-large president of Stateway Gardens/Park Boulevard Local Advisory Council. She is also a member of the Stateway Gardens Associates Working Group, Washington Park Working Group and member of the 4th Ward NKO Advisory Council.
In her various roles, Washington has aggressively addressed important issues that affect communities and residents, such as community safety, building maintenance, and the need for public housing residents to be recognized and supported. She has also seen to it that CHA residents are healthy, serving as Director of the Summer Food Program, in which CHA residents are provided healthy meals free-of-charge. She has selected sites for the program, hired and trained staff, provided management supervision and prepared applications and contracts for the program. She was also a CHA Property Manager from 1980 -1982.