Scott Turner confirmed, sworn in as HUD secretary

Marcia Fudge, Turner’s predecessor from the Biden administration, was confirmed with 66 votes in March 2021. And Trump’s first-term HUD secretary, Ben Carson, was confirmed with 58 votes in March 2017.

No significant debate on Turner’s nomination took place prior to the vote. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) spoke briefly before the vote began in favor of Turner’s nomination, calling him “the right man to help restore opportunity now.”

HUD announced his swearing in on Wednesday evening, which included a statement from Turner on the work he is about to commence.

“I am honored and humbled to serve the American people and the Trump administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,” Turner said. “On President Trump’s first day in office, he signed an executive order to lower the cost of housing and expand housing supply. As secretary, I will lead the department in furthering these priorities.”

Turner also mentioned some of the gravity of the work ahead, including in service of vulnerable communities in the pursuit of HUD’s mission, including through deregulation.

“The path ahead of us presents an opportunity to restore HUD to its core mission of supporting strong and sustainable communities and quality, affordable homes — serving our nation’s most vulnerable,” he said. “We must reduce burdensome regulations to make homeownership easier while unleashing prosperity that has been stifled in communities across the country for far too long.”

Shortly after the vote was recorded, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released a statement to congratulate Turner.

“We will continue to advocate for policies and solutions that improve housing supply and affordability and stand ready to work with leadership and staff at HUD, the Federal Housing Administration, and Ginnie Mae as they carry out their important roles in supporting single-family and multifamily housing markets while protecting taxpayers,” Bob Broeksmit, MBA’s president and CEO, said in the statement.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) also weighed in with congratulations.

“NAR is eager to work with Mr. Turner to further HUD’s mission to expand homeownership in America and create strong, sustainable communities,” said Shannon McGahn, NAR’s chief advocacy officer. “At a time when a national housing inventory shortage has contributed to an affordability crisis, HUD programs are more important than ever in helping Americans overcome barriers to affordable rental housing, sustainable homeownership, and the opportunity to create generational wealth.”

Scott Olson, executive director of the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), also issued a statement congratulating Turner on his confirmation while offering support for his role.

“We are encouraged by his commitment to addressing broken housing policies and expanding sustainable homeownership opportunities,” Olson said. “His focus on helping Americans achieve self-sufficiency and the American dream aligns with our mission to ensure a strong, accessible, and responsible mortgage market. We look forward to working with Secretary Turner and HUD to promote policies that strengthen homeownership and expand housing opportunities for all.”

Also congratulating Turner on his confirmation is Shaun Donovan, president and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners and former HUD secretary during most of Barack Obama’s presidency.

“He is stepping into the role at a critical juncture; we are in the midst of a national housing crisis, broader and deeper than at any point in recent history,” Donovan said. “Still, this crisis presents an abundance of opportunities for our local, state, and federal entities to collaborate on solutions and policies that support Americans in every part of this country.”

Turner inherits the leadership of HUD during a time of transition. The administration of President Donald Trump has taken aggressive action to reduce the size of the federal government, but the U.S. remains embroiled in a series of housing challenges. These include a persistent dearth of available inventory, high prices and a notable increase in the nation’s homelessness rate.

Turner offered a preview of what he would prioritize as secretary during his Senate confirmation hearing a few weeks ago. He said he would enforce a return-to-office mandate for HUD workers that was formalized by the president in an executive order, and he voiced reservations about the prospect of raising the department’s budget. Instead, he said he would aim to “maximize” the budget already appropriated to HUD by Congress.

Consistently during his first term, Trump routinely submitted budget requests to Congress that sought to cut HUD’s budget while taking aim at certain grant programs. Congress was not as willing to go as far as the White House, however, since HUD funding stayed mostly stable over the course of Trump’s first four years in office.

In the past, Turner has demonstrated a severe level of skepticism about the ability of government programs to stave off poverty and homelessness.

During his confirmation hearing, he demonstrated alignment with the president’s belief about the impact of illegal immigration in driving up housing costs and driving down available inventory.

Democrats showed a willingness to work with Turner to address the nation’s severe housing challenges. In the vote to advance Turner’s nomination to the full Senate, Democrats said they were willing to vote affirmatively but were put off by the lack of an FBI background check, leading the vote to fall along party lines.

But the housing industry has advocated for Turner’s swift confirmation. A letter to Senate banking committee leaders to support Turner’s nomination was co-signed last month by 23 housing trade groups. These entities include the MBA, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the American Land Title Association (ALTA), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) and the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI).

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with news of Turner’s swearing-in, and statements from Shannon McGahn, Scott Olson and Shaun Donovan.