We Believe Affordable Housing Can Work Differently
Communities shouldn't have to wait years for more affordable homes. At Functional Housing, we use master lease agreements to make quality apartments affordable faster. We are building a model that will expand access to stable housing and empower economic mobility for more Chicagoans.
The idea behind Functional Housing took shape in Los Angeles, where co-founder and CEO Keenan Leary signed his first master lease to open an apartment building for people exiting homelessness. It was a formative lesson: with the right structure and great partners, private housing can become part of the solution to an affordable-housing problem.
After helping develop and close more master-lease deals in Los Angeles, Keenan moved to Chicago to pursue a doctorate in Social Work at the University of Chicago, with a research focus on affordable housing policy. His research, and his experience as a housing case worker, shaped the development of Functional Housing — and our belief in the power of master-leasing as a model to accelerate the expansion of affordable housing.
Keenan and co-founder Alexander McCullough officially launched Functional Housing in 2025. Alexander, a real estate development expert, advises on building selection, lease negotiation, and property management. He currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors.
Chicago has been a leader in American housing and social reform, from the settlement-house movement and the development of the social work profession to experiments in financing affordable housing that have shaped federal policy. Functional Housing's model sits at the same intersection of public purpose and private real estate.
We believe Chicago is the right place to test whether a new model for public-private housing partnership can work at scale. Our investors agree: in May 2026, Functional Housing placed second in the University of Chicago Rustandy Center's Social New Venture Challenge. The award provided critical seed funding for our first pilot in Chicago. Now, we're ready to launch an affordable housing model that can get Chicagoans into homes faster — and ahead sooner.
What Guides the Work
Efficiency
We deliver the most cost-efficient form of affordable housing possible, unlocking units that would never otherwise be affordable through our master leasing model.
Scale
Every choice we make is scalable across housing markets and replicable long-term.
Support
Resident services are core to what makes affordable housing work — every building budget includes services that help residents reach their goals.
Impermanence
Guided by our radical social work principles, we strive to create systems change. If we work ourselves out of a job, that's a good thing.
The People Behind the Model
Keenan Leary, MSW
Keenan Leary is the co-founder and CEO of Functional Housing. He began his career as a case worker in Los Angeles, working in homeless services and affordable housing development. After seeing how long and complex traditional affordable-housing development could be, Keenan became convinced that there had to be a faster way. As an affordable housing broker in Los Angeles, he closed master leases that opened entire market-rate buildings to people exiting homelessness and watched those become homes in months rather than years.
Keenan moved to Chicago to pursue a doctorate at the University of Chicago's Crown Family School for Social Work, Policy, and Practice. He researches affordable housing, with a focus on how the intersection of social services and financial asset management in supportive housing can resolve homelessness. He holds a Master of Social Work from UCLA and writes regularly about affordable housing innovations in cities around the country.
Alex McCullough
An experienced development and asset-management professional with 6+ years in multifamily management, development, underwriting, and portfolio performance, Alex has assisted in the entitlement, development, and refinancing of 600+ apartment units.
At Functional Housing, Alex advises on building selection, lease negotiation, and property management, and chairs the Board of Directors.
Austin Sankaran
Gabe Huertas del Pino
Gabe Huertas del Pino is a pet industry entrepreneur and attorney with a background spanning international business development, legal advocacy, and consumer product innovation. He is the Founder and CEO of Archway Pet, a Chicago-based pet food and treat company that develops sustainable, allergen-friendly nutrition for dogs and cats using novel proteins like invasive carp and cricket.
Since founding the company in 2022, Gabe has grown Archway from an early-stage concept into a nationally distributed brand, with products now available through retailers and marketplaces including Petco, Chewy, Amazon, Meijer, Sprouts Farmers Market, and KeHE. Under his leadership, Archway has been recognized with Purina’s Pet Care Innovation Prize, the World Pet Association’s Sustainability award at SuperZoo, and a feature on Good Morning America, and was selected for both the Techstars 2023 cohort and gener8tor’s Great Lakes Innovation Accelerator. He has led the company through a $1M seed raise backed by institutional investors, university funds, and angel networks, and regularly represents Archway at industry events, panels, and entrepreneurial programming.
Prior to founding Archway, Gabe worked at the intersection of law and business. He is a licensed attorney with experience in litigation and international dispute resolution, and he later served as head of international business development and operations at PEAK, a market leader in the automotive aftermarket industry. Earlier in his career, Gabe spent a year on the Texas-Mexico border representing detained minors in their immigration cases and remains active in immigration law today, taking on pro bono cases when his schedule allows. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he also served as a Managing Director of the Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund.
A Chicago resident, Gabe is an active marathon runner, hiker, and cyclist, and can often be found volunteering with river cleanup efforts through Friends of the Chicago River during Chicago Water Week. He lives with his partner, Abigail, and their two pets, Molly (cat) and Doris (dog), who make regular appearances in Archway’s own marketing.
Mark Todd
Mark Todd is an accomplished insurance and business development executive with more than 17 years of experience spanning property & casualty insurance, claims, premium finance, risk management, and strategic partnerships. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Functional Housing, where he brings his professional expertise and commitment to expanding access to quality, affordable housing and strengthening local communities.
Mark’s insurance and claims background provides a valuable perspective as Functional Housing acquires, develops, and preserves affordable housing assets. His experience identifying and mitigating risk, evaluating property exposures, navigating insurance coverage, and managing complex property losses can help protect the organization’s investments and support the long-term sustainability of the housing and communities it serves.
Previously, as Director of Strategic Partnerships and DEI Leader for Ori-gen Insurance Group, Mark worked to expand economic opportunity for small and minority-owned businesses throughout Los Angeles County. He helped businesses obtain appropriate insurance coverage and overcome insurance-related barriers to participating in local publicly funded housing and development projects. By helping local businesses compete for and participate in these projects, Mark contributed to efforts that kept economic opportunities within communities, supported business growth, and strengthened local economies.
Mark currently serves as Assistant Vice President for the PacWest territory at ESIS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chubb. His career also includes leadership roles in premium finance and property loss consulting, providing him with a broad understanding of financial risk and asset protection.
Mark earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Southern California, where he was a scholarship student-athlete and twice participated in the College World Series.
Addy Ajijolaiya
Addy Ajijolaiya is a housing and homelessness professional with experience in program development, community partnerships, and regional systems coordination. She currently serves as a Department Manager at the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG), where she leads the organization’s homeless services work and supports South Bay cities in developing and implementing strategies to address homelessness and expand access to housing and supportive resources.
Since joining SBCCOG in 2024, Addy has grown her role to oversee a broad portfolio of regional programs and partnerships serving individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Her work spans housing navigation, case management, prevention, outreach, shelter and interim housing partnerships, financial assistance, and regional initiatives designed to help communities respond more effectively to homelessness. She works closely with cities, nonprofit service providers, county agencies, and community partners to strengthen coordination and connect people to the resources they need to move toward housing stability.
Prior to joining SBCCOG, Addy worked at Safe Place for Youth, supporting young people ages 16 to 25 experiencing homelessness. She managed the Host Home Program, which engaged community members to provide temporary housing and a supportive environment for youth as they pursued educational, employment, and other goals.
Addy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Pepperdine University, with a minor in Hispanic Studies and an emphasis in social action and justice. During college, she was actively involved in volunteer work on Skid Row and with community organizations including Standing on Stone and the Malibu Labor Exchange. Her early experience in street outreach and case management continues to shape her approach to housing and homelessness work, with a focus on meeting people where they are while building stronger systems and communities around them.
A Southern California native, Addy grew up in Long Beach and now lives in the South Bay. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, hiking, live music, good food, and finding a sunny spot at the park with a great book and an even better picnic.