Conrad Edward Egan

Conrad Egan, Champion of Affordable Housing and Beloved Advocate for Community and Nature Conrad Edward Egan, a leader in national housing policy and a lifelong advocate for affordable housing, equity, and community development, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2025, at his home in Oakton, Virginia, following complications from prostate cancer. He was 83.

Born May 8, 1942, in Akron, Ohio, to Edward and Irene Egan (née Kryzaniak), Conrad’s life was marked by deep purpose, humility, and curiosity. As a young man, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and graduated from St. Vincent–St. Mary High School before heading to the University of Detroit, where he served as student-body president and fenced competitively. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Michigan.

Conrad met the love of his life, Carol Egan (née Fradette), in Detroit, MI. They were married on July 18, 1964, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Dearborn, Michigan—beginning an adventurous life of purpose and service that spanned the country. They welcomed daughter Kathleen (Kat) in 1965 and son Michael in 1967. Kat now leads her own culture and leadership consulting firm, and Michael is a lawyer.

Conrad’s career was defined by integrity, collaboration, and relentless dedication. He believed deeply in the power of smart policy, local relationships, and citizen participation to solve big problems. His impact endures in thousands of homes, communities, and lives made better by his work.

He was known as a brilliant connector with a staggering memory, a bottomless Rolodex, and a reputation for lifting others up. He mentored scores of young professionals, many of whom credit him with shaping their careers and their values. He brought dignity to policy and a human touch to bureaucracy.

Yet his greatest joy came from family and the natural world. During their years in San Francisco, Conrad took his family camping nearly every weekend in Big Sur, Yosemite, and along the California coast. Summer road trips across national parks became sacred family rituals. His love for wild places, maps, history (especially the Civil War), and long walks with a purpose never faded. His fast-paced “tours” of D.C. were legendary—leading family and guests across monuments, trails, and neighborhoods with purpose, storytelling, a stack of paper maps – and always a stop for good food.

Conrad’s professional journey began in Detroit in the mid-1960s, working with grassroots organizations such as the West Central Organization, the University of Detroit Urban Law Program, and the Highland Park Model Cities Program. These early experiences sparked a commitment to housing justice that would define his life.

He joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1969, serving in both San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Over two decades at HUD, he rose to become Director of the Office of Multifamily Housing Management, where he oversaw the agency’s entire multifamily housing portfolio and helped preserve thousands of affordable units through creative use of Section 8 subsidies.

In 1986, he joined NHP, Inc.—then the nation’s largest private owner–manager of affordable rental housing—as Executive Vice President. There, he led development and asset management efforts across thousands of multifamily and senior housing properties. He returned to HUD in 1993, serving as Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Programs and to Secretary Henry Cisneros. His leadership helped drive HUD’s rapid response to the Northridge earthquake in 1994 and launched the Neighborhood Networks initiative to support resident career development.

From 1997 to 2010, Conrad helped shape national housing policy from the nonprofit sector. He served as Policy Director and then President and CEO of the National Housing Conference (NHC), strengthening bipartisan collaboration and nonprofit advocacy nationwide. Between 2001–2002, he also served as Executive Director of the congressionally chartered Millennial Housing Commission, tasked with evaluating and modernizing federal affordable housing strategy across the country.

Throughout these years, Conrad remained rooted in local efforts, serving as Chairman of the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA). Under his leadership, FCRHA preserved over 600 units of affordable housing through the $107.5 million acquisition of Wedgewood Apartments. He also held leadership roles with the Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC), Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, AHOME, Housing Virginia, and Fairfax County’s Initiative to Prevent and End Homelessness.

After retiring from full-time work, he continued serving as Senior Advisor to the Affordable Housing Institute, supporting housing reform efforts internationally. In 2008, he was inducted into Affordable Housing Finance’s Affordable Housing Hall of Fame—recognized as a “housing hero” by colleagues who saw him as one of the most committed and visionary leaders in the field. He was a man who walked fast, thought deeply, and devoted his life to making the world a little better each day for those with fewer resources, less income, and fewer opportunities. His legacy lives not just in policy but in people—in colleagues he inspired, systems he improved, and the countless lives touched by his care, ideas, and enduring belief in what was possible.

Conrad is survived by his beloved wife, Carol Egan of Oakton, VA; his daughter, Kat Egan; his son, Michael Egan; and his sister, Marilyn Egan Bokor and brother-in-law, Mike Bokor. He also leaves behind many dear friends, colleagues, and mentees across the country.

A church service and memorial will be held on July 10, 2025, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, VA. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by Mass at 12:00 p.m. and a celebratory lunch at 1:00 p.m. at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Conrad’s memory to your chosen housing-related organization or the Inova Health Foundation.