The Senate confirmed David Stevens’ nomination to head the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The appointment is not yet official, and a schedule for Stevens’ swearing-in has not been set. A Senate committee made the nomination in March 2009, and a panel approved the nomination at the end of June. Industry groups, including the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released statements supporting the decision. “During this time of market uncertainty, NAHB believes that it is essential to have a strong and experienced leader at the FHA and David Stevens is the right man for the job,” said Joe Robson, chairman of NAHB. NAR, which represents 1.2m members in the real estate market, echoed praise for Stevens’ confirmation in a released statement. “Dave brings a broad understanding of the importance of housing to the overall economy and the importance of FHA in bringing stability and growth to the housing market,” said Charles McMillan, president of NAR, in the statement. Stevens served as president and chief operating officer at Long & Foster, a Washington D.C.-based real estate firm. He joined the firm in 2006 to lead the firm’s mortgage, title and insurance division. Write to Jon Prior.

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