WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Marcia Fudge to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This places the longtime Ohio lawmaker in charge of the agency just as Congress passes new benefits for renters and homeowners who have suffered economic losses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Fudge, who has represented parts of Cleveland and Akron in the House since 2008, is a former mayor and a longtime advocate for assistance for the needy.

She said at her confirmation hearing that her first priority would be protecting the millions of people who have fallen behind on rent or mortgages due to loss of income during the pandemic.