LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY



          Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes

and appoints

each of Nancy Marrazzo, Peter S. Reinhart, Anthony J. Maimone, Ann Griffin, and J. Larry

Sorsby

signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's

capacity as an officer and/or director of Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (the

Company), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;



(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the

undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute

any such Form 3, 4, or 5, complete and execute any amendment or

amendments thereto, and timely file such form with the United States

Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar

authority; and



(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with

the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of

benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned,

it being understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on

behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in

such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-

fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.



 The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and

authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,

necessary,

or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers herein

granted, as

fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if

personally

present, with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and

confirming all

that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or

substitutes, shall

lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the

rights and

powers herein granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing

attorneys-in-

fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not

assuming, nor is

the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with

Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

         This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the

undersigned is

no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the undersigned's

holdings of

and transactions in securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by

the

undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.



IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to

be executed as of this 17 day of February, 2006.



__________________________    _______

Witness:  Anthony J. Maimone    /s/Joseph A. Marengi