As waves of foreclosures increased over the last year and broader economic distress has spread, the housing department has taken a notably low-profile role, overshadowed not only by the Treasury Department but also the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
One predecessor, Alphonse Jackson, resigned under pressure after boasting that he awarded contracts on the basis of political favoritism. (He later claimed to be joking.) The current secretary, Steve Preston, has a background in financial services with little experience in housing policy.
By contrast, one senator after another praised Mr. Donovan’s extensive resume, which includes two graduate degrees from Harvard (in public policy and architecture), a previous stint at HUD, and four years as Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
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