The State of Minnesota's Emerging Markets Homeownership Initiative (EMHI) recently announced the hiring of Shawn Huckleby as its first director. Huckleby, who previously served as a senior specialist with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has extensive experience in the statewide and national housing and community development industries.
The purpose of EMHI is to dramatically reduce the gap in homeownership rates between Minnesota's white and minority populations by 2010. The initiative was launched in June 2004 by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It involves more than 50 stakeholder organizations, including state and federal government agencies, mortgage lenders, realty companies, home insurers and community groups. (For more information on EMHI's origins and partners, see "Homeownership initiative targets Minnesota's emerging markets" in Community Dividend Issue 2, 2005.) In June 2005, EMHI's organizers submitted a business plan to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty that outlines 12 concrete strategies for closing the state's homeownership gap. The plan also sets a goal of creating 40,000 new minority homeowners by 2012.
As director, Huckleby serves as EMHI's key coordinator, contact and spokesperson and is responsible for leading the implementation of the initiative's business plan. His new role began on April 3.
