The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development swore-in its new assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity Thursday.
Anna Maria Farías [pictured below] will take the new position after being confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate. HUD Secretary Ben Carson administered the oath of office to Farías.
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(Source: HUD)
Now, she will be responsible for leading the department’s work to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity and achieve diverse, inclusive communities.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Anna Maria back home to HUD,” Carson said. “As she has in the past, Anna Maria will provide steady leadership and will advance HUD’s mission as a manifestation of our nation’s fair housing and civil rights laws.”
Previously, Farías served in senior roles at HUD under former President George W. Bush, including director for HUD’s center for faith-based community initiatives and deputy assistant secretary for grant programs in the office of community planning and development.
During her previous time at HUD, Farías led the department’s disaster recovery efforts after the 2005 hurricanes. She managed more than $16 billion in grants for states in the Gulf Coast region. Since 2013, Farías served in several leadership roles on the Board of Regents at Texas Women’s University, including board chair and presiding officer.
“It is a singular honor to be asked by the President and the Secretary to return to an agency I love,” Farías said. “I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting down to work on behalf of the American people.”
This appointment closes yet another vacancy at HUD, leaving just three roles left to fill, according to the department’s website.
The mission of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity and achieve diverse, inclusive communities by leading the nation in the enforcement, administration, development and public understanding of federal fair housing policies and laws. The FHEO enforces the Fair Housing Act of 1968 which protects people from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and family status.