By Alyssa McMurtry
Staff Writer
Posted: May 13, 2022 4:33 PM

Amy Hovey, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority's pick for its new executive director, has yet to start the job despite the board selecting her in late 2021, her approval contingent on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's assent.

Approximately eight months after MSHDA selected Ms. Hovey, her appointment is still pending HUD approval. A statement provided Wednesday from MSHDA board chair Susan Corbin, who is also the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity director, confirmed HUD is still reviewing MSHDA's request.

"Following a national search for a MSHDA Executive Director, Amy Hovey's exceptional leadership skills and knowledge made her the ideal candidate for the position. I am hopeful she will be able to join the MSHDA team," Ms. Corbin said. "She passed the first hurdle when the State Ethics Board accepted the conflicts wall arrangement. HUD is now considering MSHDA's request for the exception for the HOME Program and waiver for project-based vouchers."

It is currently unknown when HUD will approve of the exception and waiver request. A message was left with the Detroit field office and was not returned last week.

The HOME program grants states and local governments funds to be used with the goal of increasing homeownership and affordable housing for those with lower incomes. The project-based vouchers are HUD-funded rental assistance that local housing authorities like MSHDA make available to affordable housing developers.

Ms. Hovey currently serves as the special project coordinator at Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. It is her spouse's work with the agency, however, that raised some red flags. Mr. Hovey has loans with the agency and there was concern his work may be a conflict of interest for Ms. Hovey.

In October 2021, MSHDA board decided her appointment can only be confirmed upon approval from the State Board of Ethics and HUD (See Gongwer Michigan Report, October 21, 2021).

By December, the board of ethics unanimously approved her appointment and said the anticipated conflicts are not pervasive enough to keep Ms. Hovey from doing her job. It also said the conflict walls proposed by MSHDA were sufficient (See Gongwer Michigan Report, December 3, 2021).

Ms. Hovey's offer can still be rescinded if HUD rejects MSHDA's requests.