Senate narrowly confirms Julia Gordon as FHA commissioner

The Senate has narrowly confirmed Julia Gordon as Federal Housing Administration commissioner, a candidate supported by industry and community groups but opposed by Republicans who called past comments she made overly critical of law enforcement.

Gordon was confirmed based on a 51-50 vote Thursday, with Vice President and former California Attorney General Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote as opposition by Republicans like Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, continued.

Toomey has repeatedly taken issue with a letter Gordon wrote as president of the National Community Stabilization Trust in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd, in which she said police violence stemmed “from flawed and biased systems that require structural change.”

Top housing officials and industry groups issued supportive statements in response to the confirmation, which fills a key position at an agency that insures many first-time homebuyer loans, some of which were exposed to pandemic-related distress during the pandemic.

“I congratulate Julia Gordon on her confirmation to serve at HUD’s assistant secretary for the office of housing and the Federal Housing Administration Commissioner,” said Marcia Fudge, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in a statement. “Julia is a respected leader with decades of experience working to create more vibrant and equitable communities.

In addition to previously working at NCST, Gordon has served as the manager of the single-family policy team at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and held positions at the Center for American Progress and the Center for Responsible Lending.

“Ms. Gordon is very well qualified to take over this position, which has gone unfilled far too long,” said Scott Olson, executive director of the Community Home Lenders Association, in a statement.

In particular, Gordon’s past experience managing the FHFA, combined with her affordable housing advocacy work, should help her balance the need to address low-income borrowers’ needs while managing a public agency’s risk, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The FHFA oversees two government-sponsored enterprises that back a large portion of the mortgages in the United States outside the FHA market.

“Her knowledge and experience in housing policy and community development will serve her well as she leads FHA’s mission to support homeownership opportunities,” said MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit. “We look forward to working with Assistant Secretary Grodon, HUD Secretary Gordon, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge and other stakeholders to ensure a resilient FHA program.”