On January 26, 2009, Shaun Donovan was sworn in as the 15th United States Secretary for Housing and Urban Development. He has devoted his career to ensuring access to safe, decent, and affordable housing and he will continue that effort in the Obama Administration. Secretary Donovan believes that America's homes are the foundation for family, safe neighborhoods, good schools, and solid businesses. He has a strong commitment to make quality housing possible for every American.
Secretary Donovan previously served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). He created and implemented HPD's New Housing Marketplace Plan to build and preserve 165,000 affordable homes, the largest municipal affordable housing plan in the nation's history. His work at HPD included the New York City Acquisition Fund, an award-winning collaboration with foundations and banks to finance affordable housing; an innovative inclusionary zoning program; an ambitious supportive housing plan; and the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, one of the earliest responses to the foreclosure crisis.
Before his service as HPD Commissioner, Secretary Donovan worked in the private sector on financing affordable housing, and was a visiting scholar at New York University, where he researched and wrote about the preservation of federally-assisted housing. He was also a consultant to the Millennial Housing Commission on strategies for increasing the production of multifamily housing. The Commission was created by the United States Congress to recommend ways to expand housing opportunities across the nation.
Secretary Donovan rejoins HUD after his previous service in the Clinton administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing, where he was the primary federal official responsible for privately-owned multifamily housing. At that time, he ran housing programs that helped 1.7 million families access affordable housing. He also served as acting FHA Commissioner during the Clinton/Bush presidential transition. Prior to his first service at HUD, he worked at the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) in New York City, a non-profit lender and developer of affordable housing. He also researched and wrote about housing policy at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University and worked as an architect.
Secretary Donovan holds a B.A. and Masters degrees in Public Administration and Architecture from Harvard.
Secretary Shaun Donovan's Posts
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Ending Veteran Homelessness
June 6, 2011 at 9:06 PM EDTSecretary Shaun Donovan talks about one of the top priorities for himself and President Obama: Ending homelessness among veterans.
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A Commitment to Responsibility – HUD’s Work to Build a Clean Energy Economy and a Stronger Environment
January 19, 2011 at 2:15 PM EDTSecretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Shaun Donovan, shares some of HUD's major accomplishments in advancing clean energy and a stronger environment.
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Building a New Foundation
September 21, 2010 at 2:06 PM EDTSecretary Donovan describes Administration efforts to make communities more livable, sustainable and prosperous.
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Fighting Foreclosures and Strengthening Neighborhoods
September 8, 2010 at 6:00 PM EDTHUD Secretary Shaun Donovan writes about the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
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On the Road from Recovery to Revitalization
August 25, 2010 at 4:39 PM EDTPart of the ongoing series marking five years since Hurricane Katrina, Secretary Donovan discusses the Administration's commitment to cutting red tape and standing with the residents of the Gulf Coast through the region’s continued recovery.
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Reducing Energy Costs while Creating Green Jobs for Americans
August 20, 2010 at 5:14 PM EDTThrough the Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded more than $100 million to 100 affordable housing developments around the country to complete energy efficient renovations.
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The Recovery Act: Laying the Foundation for America’s 21st Century Clean Energy Economy
August 2, 2010 at 9:09 AM EDTSecretary Donovan speaks at two events that helped underscore the extent to which President Obama’s Recovery Act is paving the way for a clean energy economy.
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Building Our Cities Greener
June 25, 2010 at 5:45 PM EDTSecretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan discusses a big step forward in the Obama Administration’s efforts to encourage more sustainable development with a $100 million fund for the new Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program.
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Developing Our Sustainable Future
May 14, 2010 at 6:32 PM EDTSecretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan discusses his tour of a 15-acre sustainable mixed-income, mixed-used redevelopment project in Denver, Colorado.
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Recovery Act Working for You
February 19, 2010 at 5:52 PM EDTSecretary Donovan talks about the impacts of the Recovery Act.
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