Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies the department’s FY 2010 budget proposal is a “forward thinking budget with new ideas for driving energy efficient housing, sustainable, inclusive growth, and revitalization of neighborhoods of extreme poverty.”Donovan said the budget achieves five objectives:First, it addresses the housing and economic crisis by combining resources with tools to prevent foreclosures and making credit available to those in need. Second, it “returns the federal government to its leadership role as a catalyst for expanding the availability of decent and affordable rental housing.” He said the budget does this by providing...