Thomas Wong is the Associate Director of Unit Acquisitions at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and is a recognized expert in master leasing, public-private real estate partnerships, and housing solutions for the homeless. Thomas leads LAHSA's groundbreaking Unit Acquisitions Division, where he developed and implemented the first government-backed master lease strategy in the country and acquired over 770 units in the first year of operations. Recently, his work was recognized as a Top 25 Finalist for the 2025 Ivory Prize, a nationally renowned award for housing innovations, and has been been featured in The LA Times, The Urban Institute, and the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Prior to this role, Thomas served in multiple leadership positions at LAHSA that includes the Manager of Housing Navigation and Unit Acquisitions and Chief of Planning for Project Roomkey during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has worked at the intersection of housing policy, real estate, and government systems, while still providing boots-on-the-ground services as a Clinical Lead for homeless street outreach teams.
Thomas lives in Los Angeles and holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California with a concentration in Communities, Organizations, and Business Innovation, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside.
Currently, Thomas is focused on expanding LAHSA's master leasing strategy and optimizing the homeless rehousing system's ability to quickly house people experiencing homelessness. He hopes that his work in unit acquisitions will bridge the gap of two often misaligned sectors, real estate and homelessness, while driving cost-effective and sustainable solutions for Los Angeles and other communities.
Email: twong912@gmail.com