White House Office of Urban Affairs

The White House Office of Urban Affairs is an office within the White House Office, part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

History

The Office was established under Executive Order 13503, issued by President Barack Obama on February 19, 2009. It is headed by a director, who is assisted by a deputy director. The first director was Adolfo Carrión, Jr.^[1] On May 3, 2010, Carrion was succeeded by Derek Douglas. The director is charged with reporting directly to President Obama and concurrently to both Valerie Jarrett and to Melody Barnes.^[2]

Mission

The purpose of the office is to provide leadership for and coordinate the development of the policy agenda for urban America across executive departments and agencies and with this also to coordinate all aspects of urban policy with all executive departments and agencies to ensure that any policy developed has been examined for its impact on urban affairs. The office also works to ensure that federal government dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs; and to engage in outreach and work closely with state and local officials, with nonprofit organizations, and with the private sector, both in seeking input regarding the development of a comprehensive urban policy and in ensuring that the implementation of federal programs advances the objectives of that policy.^[2]

References

External links

• White House Office of Urban Affairs (home page)
• What Happened to the Office of Urban Policy? by Dayo Olopade, The Root, April 27, 2009 (retrieved on July 6, 2009)