Spokane native appointed to position in Trump Administration

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced that a Spokane native and graduate of Eastern Washington University has been appointed to a position in the second Trump administration.

Christopher Patterson, who previously served as the Pacific regional administrator and the national lead for the agency’s Foster Youth to Independence Initiative, has been appointed to serve as the agency’s regional administrator for the Northwest.

“My biggest focus for me is that, as we operate, I communicate well with the secretary so that they are aware of what’s taken place and what we need in the region,” Patterson said in an interview with The Spokesman-Review Friday afternoon. “The biggest thing is with my background with health and human services, and understanding how it works … I mean a lot of the things that HUD does cross through so many other agencies.”

The region Patterson was appointed to oversee encompasses Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Idaho.

“I’m proud to welcome Chris Patterson back to HUD, where his leadership and deep regional insight will make an immense impact,” Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement Wednesday. “Chris brings a strong sense of purpose and a deep understanding of the Northwest Region’s housing challenges. I’m confident he’ll help drive our mission forward as we expand access to homeownership opportunities for all Americans.”

Following Patterson’s service in the first Trump administration, former Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward selected him to serve as a special adviser to the mayor.

He later served as a representative on the Spokane Regional Health District’s board of health.

Patterson also founded BreakThrough Inc., a company specializing in residential youth treatment, and SteadFast Supported Living Inc., which assists adults with developmental delays.

Patterson is a graduate of Riverside High School, Spokane Community College and Eastern Washington University.

At Eastern, Patterson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a minor in childhood educational psychology.

Patterson said that as the lead for the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative, he would focus on the 20,000 children who age out of the system each year, with an emphasis on financial literacy and stability.

“A lot of the things that in foster care you don’t have,” Patterson said, “that’s going to be a primary focus of mine.”

Patterson, who grew up in the foster care system, said he “understands the needs and the desired structure to be able to help people.

“Especially those who need more help and are more vulnerable,” he said.

Patterson also said he would work to support economic development in opportunity zones and Turner’s objectives for tribal, rural and urban communities.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with the tribes throughout Region 10. Most people do not know that Region 10 has, out of the 578 federally recognized tribes, Region 10 has over half,” Patterson said. “So there’s a lot of emphasis to support tribal country to support them through government-to-government, understanding what they need to run their own reservations for their own people.”

While Patterson served as an administrator for California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada during the first administration, he’s excited to work closer to home the second time around.

“The state of Washington’s still home,” Patterson said. “Spokane’s home.”