Scott Turner, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, testified Thursday during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. Rod Lankey/AP hide title
WHO: Scott Turner
Nominated for: Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
You may know them through: Turner led a commission during Trump's first term that promoted investment and economic development in distressed communities. He also played nine seasons in the NFL and was twice elected as a Texas state representative.
What does this role do?: HUD administers rental assistance for millions of people who live in traditional public housing or have housing vouchers. The agency also helps low- and moderate-income families become homebuyers, builds and repairs affordable housing, funds housing for the homeless, and enforces fair housing laws.
Thursday's hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee was generally friendly, with plenty of football jokes about Turner's nine years in the NFL. Turner told senators he overcame extreme adversity growing up in Texas and that HUD's efforts focus on "what my family and I have been through for many years." He said his wife grew up "on government assistance," and at one point his family adopted a homeless uncle.
Turner said the housing crisis leaves people struggling every day, pointing to a recent Department of Housing and Urban Development survey that found record numbers of homeless people. "HUD is failing, if you will, in its most basic mission, and that has to end," he said.
However, he did not provide any specific details on fixing the agency and said he would review each HUD program to see what works and what doesn't. He has repeatedly said he will work to streamline the agency to become more efficient.
Turner also said more HUD staff will need to return to the office in person.
Responding to the senator's concerns, Turner said his own 24-year-old son was worried he would never be able to afford a home. But he rejected the idea that more federal investment is needed to build more affordable housing.
"HUD is providing record funding," he said, "but we still can't meet the need." Instead, he said the agency needs to "maximize the investments we have" and streamline programs. Specifically, he said the Section 8 voucher program needs to be less cumbersome and easier for landlords to use.
Turner also said burdensome regulations slow construction and increase housing costs, and he would work with states to loosen their own rules. He pointed to the high cost of construction materials as another issue but declined to comment on whether Trump should raise tariffs on Canadian lumber.
Several Democratic senators have pressured Turner to make significant cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's budget during Trump's first term. Congress rejected the proposals, but anti-poverty advocates worry cuts are more likely this time around because there are fewer Republican moderates in Congress and the incoming administration is focused on cutting spending.
Turner has repeatedly declined to say whether he would oppose any specific cuts, saying his goal is to help get people off public assistance. But when pressed, he said he could imagine trying to prove to the president, "Hey, these projects are successful."
Turner rejected criticism of corporate investors' growing share of real estate and said bringing the private sector into the market was a good thing.
He appears to support longstanding federal homelessness policies that many Republicans want to end. It first provides housing and then helps people with voluntary addiction or mental health treatment, called "wrap-around services." When asked about the policy, Turner said "these wrap-around services are critical."