Bradley Chooses Ex-HUD Official as Housing Chief

Carl D. Covitz, undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Reagan Administration, was appointed Tuesday by Mayor Tom Bradley to head the Los Angeles City Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.

Bradley chose Covitz, 49, to replace former Chairman Alvin Greene, who was forced to resign in December after he missed commission meetings for six months. At the time, Bradley relieved Deputy Mayor Grace Davis of duties as liaison to the Housing Authority and reprimanded his chief of staff, Mike Gage, for failing to keep him informed of Greene’s repeated absences.

The City Council is expected to easily confirm Covitz’s appointment. He returned to Los Angeles last month to run Landmark Communities Inc., his Beverly Hills development firm, and continues to work on solutions to the savings and loan crisis as chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of San Francisco.

“He has a good background in dealing with issues of public housing,” Bradley said at a City Hall press conference.

“We believe this will strengthen the commission and will give us the kind of experience that I think is going to be very helpful as we deal with the problems that face that authority in the months to come,” he said.

‘Ideal Partner’

City Councilman Robert Farrell praised the selection.

“If one were to ask for a more ideal partner in helping us to deal with the housing crisis in the city, the mayor could not have found a more capable person,” said Farrell, chairman of the council’s Grants Committee.

The seven-member commission sets policy and provides oversight for the Housing Authority. The agency maintains 33,000 residential units in 21 projects and several rent-subsidy programs in Los Angeles.

Federal conflict-of-interest regulations may prevent Covitz from making direct appeals to HUD officials in Washington for additional subsidies, Bradley acknowledged.

Covitz had been HUD undersecretary since 1987. He was responsible for the day-to-day activities of HUD and was involved in taking over operations of the troubled Chicago Housing Authority. He said he is not familiar with housing needs in Los Angeles.

“I think I need a little bit of time to research, understand and be briefed on the issues,” Covitz said. “I know the overall objective as it relates to providing a helpful, safe, sanitary living environment for the tenants.”

Departure From Policy

In an unusual move, Bradley said he advised several commissioners of his plans to name Covitz chairman. In most cases, the mayor lets his commissioners select the chairman of city boards.

“It is no reflection on anyone else sitting on the commission,” Gage said. “It is that this guy . . . obviously knows a great deal about the system and the process and will be an enormous asset to the Housing Authority.”

Acting Chairman Louis Janicich said he had not been informed of Bradley’s plans.

“I don’t have any problem with it,” Janicich said. “He is qualified and has great HUD experience. At this point in time . . . I will go along with it.”