President Biden swears in new HUD chief of staff

Amid a flurry of federal appointments made official on the Biden administration’s first day in power, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received a new chief of staff.

Jenn Jones was sworn in virtually on inauguration day, filling the position vacated by Andrew Hughes. Jones will join former Ohio congresswoman Marcia Fudge as new hand-picked leaders of the department. President Biden chose Fudge to be the incoming HUD secretary as a replacement for Ben Carson in December.

Jones worked at HUD for over seven years during the Obama administration, serving under then-HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan as a senior advisor and under Julian Castro as a senior policy advisor.

“I am deeply humbled to be returning to HUD as chief of staff,” Jones said in a statement to NMN. “HUD will play a critical role in rebuilding the American people’s trust in our federal government, and I look forward to the work we will do to increase equitable access to housing for millions of families.”

Jones spent the last four years as the chief of policy and membership at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, an organization fighting housing and lending discrimination. Her work with the NCRC aligns with President Biden’s plan to invest more in affordable housing and help bridge the homeownership gap.

“While we will miss Jenn dearly, we also couldn’t be more excited for her," Jesse Van Tol, CEO of NCRC, said in a press release. “Jenn is a leader in social-economic justice, so we are not surprised that Biden tapped her for his administration. We look forward to working with her in her new capacity at HUD, and we wish her all best in her future endeavors.”