Lynn Sweet, columnist and Washington DC bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times, highlighted U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan’s special remarks at the “Solutions for Working Families: 2009 Learning Conference on State and Local Housing Policy“on her “Scoop from Washington” blog.
Among other key topics, including the foreclosure crisis, Secretary Donovan spoke in detail about HUD’s Transformation Initiative, which he said means “better research, evaluation, and accountability measures — to figure out how we can do more with less and give the marketplace the information it needs to make informed choices.”
“It means partnerships and collaboration with agencies, non-profits, and all levels of government. Too often, HUD hasn’t been a catalyst for change – but a barrier to it,” added Donovan.
He also emphasized that the ultimate goal of the initiative is a “comprehensive, balanced national housing policy that recognizes affordable rental opportunities are inseparable from sustainable growth.”