Ilana Branda joined the Cultural Development Corporation in January 2006 to drive our efforts to create affordable housing for artists and their families. She is the project manager for the Douglas Street artist housing project among others.

She also coordinated the creation of a business plan for a cultural arts center in Ward 7 in conjunction with A&R Development’s HOPE VI project at Eastgate Gardens. She was instrumental in support of the effort to reinvent Source, coordinating the closing, regulatory issues and public grant applications.

Previously, she participated in a 14-member team that investigated and analyzed affordable housing in Montgomery County, MD. Ilana researched community housing issues—specifically those related to the defunct federal grant program HOPE VI—with a focus on the Townhomes on Capitol Hill as a case study.

Originally from Chicago, IL, Ilana moved to the DC metropolitan area in 2000 and has worked with many organizations involved in community development. Most recently, Ilana worked for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in the Research and Technology Center, updating and analyzing the Shopping Center Directory and investigating agricultural preservation issues. She has also worked with the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, investigating the Campus Park Program and examining the effectiveness of adding park space adjacent to public schools.

Ilana holds a Master of Community Planning with a focus on affordable housing and Bachelor of Science in Social Urbanism from the University of Maryland.