The Town of Concord is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Director of the Regional Housing Service Office (RHSO). Kristen Guichard brings over 15 years of experience in public
planning, policy, and municipal leadership. Kristen currently serves as Planning Director for the Town of Acton, where she leads the Planning and Conservation Divisions. The Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) is a collaboration between the member towns of Acton, Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Maynard, Natick, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston. The RHSO was formed in 2011 through an Inter-Municipal Agreement assisted by Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the regional planning agency for Greater Boston. The Town of Concord provides management oversight and contracts for the RHSO.
The RHSO serves its member towns by assisting with the municipal function of affordable housing, including proactive monitoring, program administration, project development and resident assistance.
The RHSO was formed after a three-year development process with assistance provided by the MAPC through the District Local Technical Assistance Program. The original Inter-Municipal Agreement was signed in 2011 to advance collaboration on affordable housing preservation and development among member towns. The RHSO was awarded the Kenneth Pickard Municipal Innovation Award from the Massachusetts Municipal Association in 2011. The current Director, Liz Rust, will be transitioning the Director position to Kristen over the next year. Liz plans to stay involved with affordable housing, at the RHSO and elsewhere. .
In Acton, Kristen was instrumental in advancing equitable housing policy, including implementation of MBTA Communities (Section 3A) zoning, management of Chapter 40B reviews, inclusionary zoning and creation of a local policy for civil rights-based zoning analysis. She coordinated the town’s active participation in the RHSO, strengthening affordable housing in Acton. She has overseen numerous grant-funded initiatives and served as project manager for major infrastructure projects. Her planning leadership includes key contributions to the Assabet River Rail Trail, Kelley’s Corner Infrastructure Project, and South Acton Vision and Action Plan. A Certified Occupancy Specialist (COS) and member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), Kristen holds a Master of Public Administration from Clark University.
Kristen is enthusiastic about her new role noting, “I am deeply passionate about affordable housing and public service, and I’m honored to continue this work as the new Director of the Regional Housing Services Office. While I will truly miss working in the Acton community and feel grateful for the years I spent with such a thoughtful and dedicated organization, I’m excited to begin this next chapter. I look forward to serving in this new role and am committed to furthering the RHSO’s mission to support member communities in creating and sustaining affordable housing throughout the MetroWest region.”
Kristen will be starting her role as Director at the end of July 2025.