Scott Turner, a former NFL participant turned Texas state legislator, mentioned Thursday throughout his affirmation listening to to be the following Housing and City Growth (HUD) secretary his objective can be to assist folks escape authorities help and turn into extra self-sustainable.
Testifying earlier than the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and City Affairs, Turner mentioned, if confirmed, his precedence can be to advance and broaden polices heralded by the incoming Trump administration.
“This moment is not just about fixing what’s broken, it’s about continuing and expanding the policies from the first Trump administration — policies that worked,” Turner mentioned Thursday, including his “goal” as HUD secretary can be “to help people get off government assistance, become self-sustainable and achieve the American dream.”
Turner beforehand served as government director of the Trump administration’s Alternative and Revitalization Council that established “Opportunity Zones,” an financial revitalization plan geared toward serving to low-income, minority communities, which Turner mentioned he hopes to broaden. Turner additionally mentioned he plans to chop purple tape and have interaction with state, native and personal companions to decrease the price of housing.
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Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Housing and City Growth, is sworn in throughout a Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and City Affairs listening to for his pending affirmation on Capitol Hill Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (Related Press )
“I believe having that equity in the home should be available to the homeowner because that’s how most families begin to build wealth,” Turner mentioned.
However Democrats on the listening to questioned whether or not Turner might make housing extra reasonably priced.
At one level through the listening to, Turner was requested about his assist for work necessities for these receiving Part 8 housing help, telling committee members he thought they have been a good suggestion. When Turner tried to clarify his reasoning, he was minimize off by the senator questioning him and unable to reply.
On whether or not he would minimize funding from sure packages, Turner didn’t give a concrete reply come what may. However he did decide to “maximize” the funding HUD has and can work with committee members to deal with issues about funding for sure packages.
“There are many factors to why housing is so expensive now, and I believe first we need to get our own fiscal house in order,” Turner informed Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., when she requested Turner if he would assist further federal funding to decrease the associated fee to construct extra reasonably priced housing.
“I do look forward to looking at the HOME Program and other programs, but there’s record funding from HUD. HUD’s budget is nearly $70 billion at this point, and we’re still not meeting the need that we’re supposed to be meeting.”
Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Trump’s nominee for U.S. secretary of Housing and City Growth, throughout a Senate Banking, Housing, and City Affairs Committee affirmation listening to in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Getty Photographs )
Turner mentioned along with addressing Democrats’ issues, he intends to conduct an agency-wide evaluation of present packages to evaluate what’s working and what’s not working properly and establish any regulatory obstacles affecting the availability of reasonably priced housing.
Turner mentioned a variety of this work will contain participating with state and native officers, since they’re uniquely accustomed to the housing wants and roadblocks inside their communities.
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Turner additionally mentioned he plans to seek out methods to cut back the price of building and have interaction with non-public sector entities throughout the housing market.
Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Housing and City Growth, arrives to testify at his Senate Banking, Housing, and City Affairs affirmation listening to on the Dirksen Senate Workplace Constructing Jan. 16, 2025. in Washington, D.C. (Getty Photographs)
Along with their questions on funding HUD packages, Democrats questioned Turner about whether or not he would work to take away alleged racial bias from the housing appraisal business and whether or not he intends to go after “price gouging” from actual property buyers.
Turner mentioned he would decide to wanting into the difficulty with Democrats and make a willpower from there. Nevertheless, Turner did rail towards range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) measures he mentioned are embedded in HUD.
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“Despite all the subsidies and all the trillions of dollars [the Biden administration] spent, not much good has happened,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate banking committee, mentioned Thursday throughout his opening assertion.
“But, today, it is a new day in America, and new leadership brings hope and opportunity and enthusiasm back to the American people.”
