Working as a contract employee in the Mayor’s Office of Housing, Barry prepared the 1991 Comprehensive Housing Strategy Report (CHAS) for the City and County of San Francisco. . The CHAS provided the federally mandated framework required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assess and address local housing needs.

The study included a comprehensive Needs Assessment, an Inventory of Housing and Financial Resources, a Five-Year Housing Strategy, and a One-Year Action Plan. Its primary focus was the development of new programs and funding sources to expand the supply of affordable rental housing for lower-income households and populations with special needs, aligning local policy priorities with federal housing requirements.