U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced today he will be stepping down as the nation's chief housing officer. Jackson will conclude his government service as the nation's 13th HUD Secretary on April 18, 2008. This announcement in the middle of a housing decline and credit crunch.
"During my time here, I have sought to make America a better place to live, work and raise a family," said Jackson, who served as Deputy Secretary and then Secretary. "I take great pride in working alongside some of the most dedicated civil servants in America. The hardworking people at HUD make a difference in the lives of thousands of Americans daily."
With a strong background and expertise in housing and community development, Jackson oversaw HUD's $37 billion budget and 9,200 employees. Under the Secretary's leadership, the Department established groundbreaking solutions to:
Help families keep their homes and revitalize the Federal Housing Administration;
Transform public housing;
Increase and preserve affordable housing;
Help rebuild the battered GulfCoast following the 2005 hurricanes;
Increase minority homeownership; and
Reduce chronic homelessness.
However, Jackson has been severely criticized for his actions as Secretary of HUD and showing favoritism in favor of the Bush administration.
"There comes a time when one must attend more diligently to personal and family matters. Now is such a time for me," Jackson added.
Secretary Jackson first joined the Bush Administration in June of 2001 as HUD's Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer. He was unanimously confirmed as the nation's 13th Secretary of HUD by the Senate on March 31, 2004. He is the only HUD Secretary to run a public housing agency and serve as chairman of a redevelopment authority.
EXCUSE ME??!! Mr Jackson did what? Help families keep their homes by evicting public housing residents without providing for their return? Revitalize the Federal Housing Administration by maintaining the Housing Aurhority of New Orleans in feudal status with only one personally selected buddy on its so-called board? Transform public housing by threatening to withhold millions from New Orleans if we did not tear them all down? Increase and preserve affordable housing by tearing down the historically beautiful and amazingly solid buildings without insured provision for their replacement? Help rebuild the battered Gulf Coast by making sure there was no place for former residents to live? Increase minority ownership by . . . just what did he ever do in that area? The Jeremiah Project stepped up where Mr. Jackson feared to tread, and unlike him they actually got something done! And most laugable of all, I love the one about Mr. Jackson's reducing chronic homelessness! After we have 60,000 homeless this summer, we really must call him back to his office so he can do again whatever he did the first time. Please, please, please, no more sycophantic self-indulgent praises of the unpraiseworthy!
Written by Robert Desmarais Sullivan
on 3/31/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
