Chetana Chaphekar
Chief Financial Officer
As chief financial officer for DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas, Chetana’s leadership is essential to the success of the agency’s mission to provide quality, affordable housing and supportive services to low-income families and individuals across the seven North Texas counties DHA serves.
Chetana is a hands-on, results-driven, high-energy professional, which is integral to her high performance and successful record of accomplishments in public and affordable housing, tax credit financial accounting and compliance management and nonprofit financial accounting. Chetana has a strong background in governmental and nonprofit finance and, alongside her team, has successfully managed the rigorous auditing process the agency is required to adhere to year-after-year without deficiencies. In 2021, DHA received its single audit report from leading advisory, assurance and tax firm, CohnReznick LLP. This marks the agency’s eighth consecutive year with zero audit findings, which is a significant accomplishment given the size and complexity of DHA’s operations.
Responsible for the supervision of DHA’s finance, purchasing and information technology departments, Chetana has carried out new accounting and programmatic software upgrades, revised personnel policies, completed tax credit cost certifications and implemented cash management processes to improve cash flow and controls over the course of her tenure with DHA, which is currently the tenth largest public housing authority (PHA) and the eighth largest Housing Choice Voucher program in the nation.
DHA provides affordable housing opportunities for over 55,700 people through DHA-owned public housing developments and the Housing Choice Voucher program. With an annual operating budget in excess of $270M and assets valued at more than $350M, Chetana maintains a strong attention to detail and practices good stewardship of the resources DHA manages each year. Chetana believes in DHA’s mission and its work as a progressive, leading agency. She is dedicated to serving the community with care while overseeing DHA’s complex operations with a deep level of integrity.
In 2021, DHA received “High Performer” status from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) following an annual performance assessment of its Housing Choice Voucher program. This marks the seventh consecutive year that the agency has achieved a “High Performer” ranking for its Housing Choice Voucher program under Chetana’s leadership.
Prior to joining DHA as the chief financial officer, Chetana started as a controller for the Houston Housing Authority, supervising the department from 1990 to 2005. Between 2005 and 2006, she had the opportunity to serve as the chief financial officer for the Association of the Advancement for Mexican Americans. With AAMA, she achieved financial self-sufficiency for the agency with a turnaround of $1 million in the financial bottom line in less than 14 months. In 2006, she returned to the Houston Housing Authority as vice president of the Office of Fiscal and Business Administration.
In addition to her housing experience, Chetana serves on the board of directors for the Opportunity Rising Foundation. Her decision to join the agency’s educational foundation is a testament to her strengths as a leader with effective communication skills and her ability to work well on a diverse and productive team.
Chetana is a Certified Public Accountant and earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in financial accounting and auditing from the University of Bombay. Further, she obtained a post-graduate Bachelor of General Law degree, also from the University of Bombay.
