The Obama administration is expected to appoint David Stevens, a veteran mortgage executive, as head of the Federal Housing Administration at a time when that agency is taking a critical role in the ailing U.S. home mortgage market, according to people familiar with the plan.

Melanie Roussell, a spokeswoman for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which includes the FHA, declined to comment. The planned appointment was first reported Sunday evening by the Washington Post.

Washington Post, Wall Street Journal