Obama names NY housing commissioner to head HUD

AP via Breitbart ^ | Dec 13 2008 | PHILIP ELLIOTT

[Jet Jaguar]

President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday named New York City's housing commissioner to his Cabinet, turning to a former Clinton administration aide to help deal with an issue at the heart of the U.S. economic crisis.

If confirmed by the Senate, Shaun Donovan will lead the Housing and Urban Development Department at a time when the mortgage crisis is being blamed for the financial market turmoil that has dragged the nation into a recession.

Obama praised Donovan's record in New York, where he managed a $7.5 billion plan with a goal of putting a half-million New Yorkers in affordable housing. The Harvard-educated architect also kept foreclosures to a minimum in the city's low- and moderate-income home ownership plan, with just five out of 17,000 participating homes.

"We can't keep throwing money at the problem, hoping for a different result," Obama said during his radio address released early Saturday. "We need to approach the old challenge of affordable housing with new energy, new ideas, and a new, efficient style of leadership. We need to understand that the old ways of looking at our cities just won't do."

[BenLurkin]

There shouldn't even be a HUD.

[Bon mots]

How much did he charge?

[Enchante]

NYC is the epitome of what NOT to do.... first they destroy all market incentives with “rent control” and “rent stabilization” and then of course they “need” mega-billion plans to try to create “affordable housing” b/c the market has been severely distorted or outright destroyed.

[maggief]

That’s what I want to know ... what and whom are behind the deal?!

NY ... I think of Hillary’s senate seat.

[dead]

NYC is the epitome of what NOT to do....

If your goal is to remove housing from market forces and place it directly under the inefficient but total control of government, it's exactly what you do want to do.

The goal is get housing, manufacturing, healthcare, etc. all under federal government control, so it can be handed over in a neat package when the global Marxist government is ready.

[Tax-chick]

he managed a $7.5 billion plan with a goal of putting a half-million New Yorkers in affordable housing

But did he achieve the goal? And how many of the non-foreclosed "low and moderate income" folks are paying their mortgages?

[PLD]

I wonder what jobs Obama will give Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers or Rev. Wright..When he pardens Rezko he will be his number one choice for any job he wants as long as Rezko doesn't spill the beans about his buddy BO..

[Mark was here]

This is rent control to Major Tom.

[RC2]

So this is what is meant by “change”? Take it back to the Clinton Admin. Forget anyone new that may be a whole lot smarter.

[Frankss]

7.5 Billion dollars for “helping “ 17,000 houses holds equals 441,176.00 dollars per house. Those are quite expensive homes

[raybbr]

After years of declining public housing investment under President Bush, officials here were thrilled at the prospect of a local running Obama's housing programs,

"It would be tremendous - Shaun is an incredible public housing professional," said Deborah VanAmerongen , commissioner of the state Division of Housing and Urban Renewal. "He really understands the issues that confront housing in urban areas, and he understands the affordable housing crisis."

Donovan has tried to develop affordable housing in New York by giving builders incentives to include low and middle-income units in their market-rate developments.

From here.

So, they think they are going to get more of OUR money to help NY.

[xcamel]

WooHoo — a new “Robin-HUD”

[NCBraveheart]

Housing in NY is sooooooo great.(Sarcasm)

[muawiyah]

Real problem with people with this candidate's background is that they think it is moral and proper to warehouse the poor, the halt, and the lame.

They have no imagination and always turn out to be quite brutal.

[muawiyah]

Almost forgot, "affordable housing" is no longer a question in America. Our present problem is a surplus of housing unsalable at any price.

Making more of this stuff is not in the cards.

[raybbr]

Almost forgot, "affordable housing" is no longer a question in America. Our present problem is a surplus of housing unsalable at any price. Making more of this stuff is not in the cards.

It depends on your perspective. From a socialist point of view crowding people into govt. housing tracts is exactly what they want. It's easier to pass out the cheese and consolidate energy costs. "Only one light bulb per unit, please."

Centrally controlled thermostats and water supplies. Got to keep the shareholders happy.

[gotribe]

In the coming anti-tax revolution entities like HUD will be dismantled.

[PGR88]

New York is the center of the universe for Welfare housing and Gov’t handouts, so who better to run the Federal Welfare Housing machine?

[jsh3180]

Appointed a Clintonista? You have to be kidding.