Scott Turner Confirmed as HUD Secretary
Turner assumes office as the nation grapples with persistent challenges in housing affordability and availability.
The Senate confirmed Scott Turner as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday by a 55-44 vote.
A former Texas state representative and NFL player, Turner previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during President Trump’s first term. In that role, he directed the Opportunity Zone program that incentivized private capital into underinvested urban areas.
Turner’s nomination received broad support from organizations representing multifamily owners, operators and developers.
In a Jan. 10 letter to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, a coalition including the National Multifamily Housing Council, National Apartment Association, Mortgage Bankers Association and Institute of Real Estate Management highlighted Turner’s work in affordable housing development, alongside his public and private sectors experience. “His proven ability to collaborate across sectors and his understanding of housing as a critical component of our economy makes him the right candidate to address the pressing housing challenges facing our nation,” the coalition said.
Hitting the ground running
Turner assumes office as the nation grapples with persistent challenges in housing affordability and availability, against the backdrop of a prohibitively difficult development environment. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the U.S. has a shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental homes available to renters earning less than 30 percent of area median income. The nation’s homeless population increased 18.1 percent year-over-year as of January, according to HUD data.
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Turner acknowledged these issues during his confirmation hearing. “As a country, we’re not building enough housing,” he told the committee. “We need millions more homes of all kinds, single family, apartments, condos, duplexes, manufactured housing, you name it, so individuals and families can have a roof over their heads and a place to call home.”
