HUD Nominee Donovan Confirmed

The Senate late Thursday unanimously confirmed Shaun Donovan to be the nation's new housing secretary in the Obama Administration. The former New York City housing commissioner worked at the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a deputy assistant secretary for multifamily housing during the Clinton administration. At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Donovan noted that originations of Federal Housing Administration-backed single-family loans have tripled over the past year. FHA has "capacity issues that require immediate attention," he said. The General Accountability Office released its new list of high-risk agencies on Thursday and it did not include FHA. FHA was removed from the GAO list in 2007. The HUD nominee has pledged to undertake strong enforcement of fair housing laws and to make management reform at HUD a "high priority."