President-elect Donald Trump has appointed former Texas state Representative Scott Turner as the new secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Turner, who has experience both in politics and sports—having spent nine seasons in the NFL—served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017. Currently, he chairs the Center for Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute, an organization founded by former Trump administration staffers.
During Trump’s presidency, Turner led a council aimed at revitalizing distressed communities by facilitating significant private investments into Opportunity Zones, areas grappling with high unemployment and inadequate housing. While the initiative received bipartisan support, critics noted that wealthy investors benefiting from tax breaks may not have positively impacted local residents as intended.
In his first term, Trump proposed substantial budget cuts to HUD, though these initiatives were not passed by Congress. The current administration’s agenda appears more structured, with expectations of fierce budget discussions, particularly given the deficit of moderate Republicans in Congress.
Trump’s team is operating with a substantial policy framework known as Project 2025, which contains a range of proposals for HUD. These include banning families with undocumented members from federally assisted housing, eliminating federal funds aimed at increasing affordable housing, repealing regulations designed to prevent segregation, and imposing stricter work requirements for housing subsidy recipients. Advocates warn that these measures could negatively impact vulnerable families and deepen poverty levels.
Despite concerns about potential funding cuts and regulatory changes, some experts express skepticism about the likelihood of such sweeping budget reductions being enacted, especially with the rising importance of housing costs to the American public. Kevin Corinth from the American Enterprise Institute believes that housing priorities may focus more on addressing the private market issues rather than transformative changes to HUD.
While this new appointment and proposed agenda may raise valid concerns for housing advocacy groups, there remains hope that the administration could prioritize effective strategies to alleviate the housing crisis facing many families. As discussions advance, there is an opportunity to balance fiscal responsibility with the essential need for adequate housing, ensuring that both low-income and working-class families are adequately supported in a changing economic landscape.