Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson announced today he will step down next month in the face of investigations involving allegations of favoritism and calls from Democrats for his resignation.

Jackson’s resignation, effective April 18, leaves open the possibility that HUD will be led by an interim chief in the final months of a lame-duck administration, even as the department implements a major expansion of FHA loan programs and pushes for an overhaul of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, or RESPA.

In announcing his resignation, Jackson made no mention of four ongoing investigations involving allegations of favoritism at HUD, including claims that he steered contracts to friends through housing authorities in New Orleans and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"There comes a time when one must attend more diligently to personal and family matters," Jackson said in a statement. "Now is such a time for me."

After Jackson refused to answer questions about such allegations at a March 12 Senate Banking Committee hearing on HUD’s budget, Democrats Chris Dodd and Patty Murray drafted a letter to President Bush demanding his resignation.

With the nation "in the midst of a housing crisis," Dodd and Murray said, "the American people do not need a HUD secretary that is distracted by the clouds of Justice Department investigations and reports of an empanelled grand jury."

Jackson joined the Bush administration in June of 2001 as HUD’s deputy secretary and chief operating officer, taking over as acting secretary after his predecessor, Mel Martinez, resigned in December 2003 to run for the Senate. Jackson was sworn in as the nation’s 13th housing secretary on April 1, 2004.

***

What’s your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×