Karen Haycox originally aimed for a career in filmmaking with degrees in Creative Cinematography. But her path led her through that career to another, which eventually led her to become the CEO of Habitat for Humanity New York City. There, Karen has instituted a bold new vision for the organization, with a goal of increasing the number of families served through construction and preservation from 550 to 2021 by the year 2021. She has also overseen the groundbreaking of Sydney House, a 56-unit co-op in the north Bronx, which will be Habitat for Humanity’s largest single-structure, multi-family development ever built.

In her prior leadership roles with the organization, she led the organization’s annual Carter Work Projects and on international and domestic disaster relief efforts, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Midwestern tornados in Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma as well as Superstorm Sandy.

Karen is deeply involved in New York’s LGBTQ and housing communities and is dedicated to providing New Hork’s LGBTQ seniors with supportive, affordable, and safe housing options. She also serves on the board of the Housing Partnership, which assists in the development, promotion, and revitalization of New York City’s affordable homeownership and rental housing through an assortment of specialized programs. 

She lives in the New York City area with her dog Ripley and cat Pepper.