Former Brooklyn Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel was appointed Tuesday by President Joe Biden to serve as Department of Housing and Urban Development regional administrator for Region II, serving New York and New Jersey. In this position, Ampry-Samuel will oversee the New York City Regional Office and field offices in Buffalo, Albany and Newark.
Ampry-Samuel served as councilmember between 2017 and 2021, representing the 41st C.D., which includes parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Ocean Hill-Brownsville, East Flatbush and Crown Heights. Her district included the highest concentration of public housing in the U.S., and she was appointed deputy leader and chair of the Public Housing Committee. She was defeated in 2021 by former Councilmember Darlene Mealy, who she had defeated for the same position four years previously.
Before being elected to the City Council, Ampry-Samuel served on the senior team at the New York City Housing Authority. She has held a number of public service positions from chief of staff in the New York State Assembly to democracy and human rights coordinator at the United States Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
Before her positions in public service, she worked as a child protective specialist for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services. She graduated from North Carolina A&T State University and CUNY School of Law.
“Regional Administrator Ampry-Samuel comes to HUD with a long and admirable record of service fighting on behalf of communities in support of housing and community development,” said HUD Office of Field Policy and Management Assistant Deputy Secretary Michele Perez. “She grew up in public housing, giving her an empathetic and deep understanding of the experiences and the needs of the department’s most vulnerable customers. I am genuinely thrilled that she has again answered the call to serve.”
“I am excited to serve as HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey and continue my work in housing and economic development,” said Ampry-Samuel. “I look forward to increasing access to quality affordable housing for low-income residents and homebuyers and ensuring HUD grantees provide economic opportunities and services to underserved populations. We must work together to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers and New Jerseyans.”
Among the federal programs HUD administers are:
- Mortgage and loan insurance through the Federal Housing Administration;
- Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to help communities with economic development, job opportunities and housing rehabilitation;
- HOME Investment Partnership Act block grants to develop and support affordable housing for low-income residents;
- Rental assistance in the form of Section 8 certificates or vouchers for low-income households;
- Public or subsidized housing for low-income individuals and families;
- Homeless assistance provided through local communities and faith-based and other non-profit organizations; and
- Fair housing, public education and enforcement.
