The Senate last week confirmed President Bush's nominees to fill four top management positions at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Senate approved Alphonso Jackson to become Deputy Secretary, John C. Weicher as Federal Housing Commissioner and Assistant Secretary of Housing, Syracuse Mayor Roy A. Bernardi to be Assistant Secretary of Community Planning and Development, and Richard A. Hauser as the agency's General Counsel.

"I'm excited about this solid management team we have in place to do the important work we were brought here to do," said HUD Secretary Mel Martinez. "This group of individuals brings a wealth of experience that will help the agency meet its core missions."

Weicher's nomination was the only one that could be considered the least bit controversial, and that clash went away almost as quickly as it surfaced.

Weicher has been a Senior Fellow and Director of Urban Studies at the conservative Hudson Institute. He served as HUD Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research from 1989 to 1993. He was Associate Director of Economic Policy at the Office of Management and Budget from 1987 to 1989, and earlier served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs at HUD from 1975 to 1977. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

In April, the National Association of Home Builders' executive committee voiced concern over Weicher's choice because of his track record concerning the future of the Federal Housing Administration, particularly the FHA's multi-family mortgage program.

The nominee's previous statements "raised some red flags for multi-family builders and other leaders of our 203,000-member trade association," NAHB Executive Vice President Jerry Howard said at the time.

But after reviewing the public record and listening to Weicher's testimony during his confirmation hearing, the influential trade group announced it would support his nomination.

Weicher's post at HUD is widely considered the most critical policy position within the agency. He testified that he supports FHA's basic mission to expand home ownership and housing opportunities and promised to continue the FHA multifamily mortgage insurance program, which helps stimulate construction and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing,

"FHA multi-family insurance serves an important public purpose," says NAHB President Bruce Smith said. "Most of the projects that FHA insures are affordable to families in the lower half of the income distribution, and almost half are in under-served areas. These families, and these communities, need FHA."

Weicher, who served as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at HUD during the previous Bush Administration and most recently was senior fellow and director of urban policy studies at the Hudson Institute, also expressed support for government sponsored enterprises, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System, that provide liquidity for the mortgage market.

Jackson, HUD's new Deputy Secretary, comes to the agency with extensive housing experience as the former president and chief executive officer of the Dallas Housing Authority.

Currently president of American Electric Power-TEXAS, Jackson has also served as the Director of the Department of Public and Assisted Housing in Washington, D.C. and as the Chairperson of the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency Board. He was appointed to the National Commission on America's Urban Families in 1992 and served on the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing from 1990 to 1992. A native of Dallas, Texas, he is graduate of Truman State University and received his J.D. from Washington University.

Bernardi is the twice-elected mayor of Syracuse, NY and has helped target HUD's block grant programs to meet housing and economic development needs in his community. Previously, Bernardi served five terms as the Syracuse city auditor.

Hauser was practicing law with Baker & Hostetler in the Nation's Capital. Prior to his private legal practice, he served as Deputy White House Counsel from 1981 to 1986.

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Published: May 30, 2001

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