Portland Housing Bureau Director Kurt Creager is departing, Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Thursday.

Creager’s last day will be Friday, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.

Shannon Callahan, who had served as assistant director of the Housing Bureau since August, will become interim director. Callahan previously worked as a policy adviser for Commissioner Dan Saltzman.

Wheeler gave no reason for the leadership change.

“Kurt has been a tremendous asset as we work to add more affordable housing units in Portland and implement stronger protections for tenants,” Wheeler stated in a news release. “I wish Kurt all the best as he moves on from his time with the city.”

Wheeler’s spokesman, Michael Cox, did not return a message seeking comment.

Creager said he would revive his consulting business, Urbanist Housing Solutions, a limited-liability company, after the holidays.

“I work at the pleasure of the mayor,” Creager said Friday. “It’s his prerogative to decide how he manages the bureau, and who he wants to manage the bureau on his behalf.”

Creager added, “I gave it my full attention. I’m glad we were able to increase production by about 300 percent. I’m glad we were able to increase the budget by 300 percent. We accomplished a lot.”

Creager said the Housing Bureau went from a “boutique agency” serving a handful of urban-renewal areas to a full-fledged city agency tackling affordable housing.

Affordable housing has been a focus for Wheeler’s administration. The mayor chose to keep the Housing Bureau in his portfolio to directly oversee its operations. The city has received repeated criticism for doing too little to address its lack of affordable housing and rising homelessness.

On Wednesday, the City Council approved $21.7 million in funding for BRIDGE Housing’s project to build a 203-unit affordable apartment building at 2095 S.W. River Parkway in the South Waterfront District.

Wheeler also announced Thursday that Dante James, director of the Office of Equity and Human Rights, will step down. James’ last day will be Dec. 15, according to the mayor’s office.

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