Ryan Elza serves as the Housing Innovation and Strategy Lead within the Center for Innovation and Partnership, Office of Interagency Innovation at the Administration for Community Living, an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.. He lead the ACL Housing Team and the interagency housing work with HHS sister agencies, HUD , USDA and VA; including the Housing and Services Resource Center. Ryan works collaboratively with ACL and federal colleagues, stakeholders, states, communities, national and state associations to develop and implement strategies to increase housing stability and reduce homelessness.
Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this position. He most recently served as the Vice President for Innovation, Growth, and Business Transformation at Volunteers of America National Services (VOANS), where he helped to lead their Health & Housing work and their new program and service development. As one of the largest non-profit affordable housing owners/operators in the nation, the VOANS portfolio includes over 240 properties and 12,900 affordable housing units in over 40 states and Puerto Rico. VOANS also operates over 46 senior healthcare programs, including skilled nursing, assisted living, home health care, adult day, and Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Ryan has an extensive background in the social determinants of health (SDOH), design thinking and civic engagement. During his tenure, he developed innovative new models of housing-based services and partnerships with Managed Care Organizations, inclusive of Humana and UnitedHealthcare, to address social determinants of health and to advance the integration of medical and social care to improve resident health outcomes.
Ryan is a trained anthropologist and has a master’s degree in technology entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland. Prior to joining VOANS, Ryan led AARP Foundation’s social isolation and digital inclusion work. Ryan developed and launched several initiatives while at AARP Foundation, including the Connect2Affect Connected Communities program, the Connect2Affect My Activity Center, and a public-private initiative with the Administration for Community Living and other federal agencies to launch the Commit to Connect Initiative to connect people with resources that help fight Social Isolation and Loneliness. Through his combined work at AARP Foundation, he has impacted the lives of thousands of low-income older adults and equipped them with technology and solutions to address social isolation.