Former Undersecretary for the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Aaron Gornstein has been named president and CEO of the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), effective June 10.

Gornstein will replace Amy Anthony, president and CEO since POAH’s founding in 2001, who is retiring this summer. Anthony will assist POAH and Gornstein with the transition.

“Aaron is a highly accomplished leader and strategic thinker in the affordable housing arena. … I know Aaron will build on her legacy and bring his vision for further growth to the organization,” POAH Board Chair Herbert Morse said in a statement. “As we welcome Aaron to POAH, the board is filled with deep gratitude to Amy Anthony for the many years she has devoted to this organization and to increasing the affordable housing stock in this country for low income families, seniors and the disabled. She has left her indelible mark on the industry and on this organization.”

While working for the DHCD under then-Gov. Deval Patrick, Gornstein served as chair of the Massachusetts Community Economic Development Assistance Corp., chair of the Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness and co-chair of the Joint Task Force on Housing for People with Disabilities. Through his work he created more than 3,000 housing units in two years.

Prior to his work with the DHCD, Gornstein was executive director of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association. He was recently appointed as a senior research fellow at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

“I am delighted to accept the position of President and CEO of POAH, an organization I have worked beside for so many years towards the goals of increasing the availability of affordable housing for low income families and seniors,” Gornstein said in a statement. “POAH’s reputation as one of the leading nonprofit affordable housing providers in the country, led so ably all these years by founder Amy Anthony, was a compelling factor in my decision to pursue this position. I look forward to working with the board and staff to continue to strengthen communities and families in the places where POAH operates its housing.”