HUD Secretary Turner visited Fargo on a roundtable with local and state officials to tour affordable-housing projects and hear from providers about regulatory and operational barriers. Turner said HUD is “taking inventory of every program” to ensure federal housing dollars serve their intended purpose and promised a focus on accountability and efficiency.

Why it matters: Local leaders told the secretary that North Dakota needs more housing supply to match rapid population and job growth and that federal tools — tax credits, CDBG, HOME, housing trust funds and Section 8 vouchers — are central to that work. Local officials urged quicker, clearer federal procedures so money reaches projects faster.

Turner spoke directly to the group about performance and oversight, using a sports-film analogy: “the film tells the story,” he said, arguing that HUD should apply scrutiny to programs to foster “excellence.” He emphasized HUD’s role as a convener and expressed an intent to reduce regulatory friction; he said HUD has started work on regulatory reforms and will continue to pursue additional actions.

Senator John Hoeven, who opened the session, pointed to two federal tools he called particularly important: the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Section 8 vouchers. “We just boosted [LIHTC] by 12% in the big bill,” Hoeven said, adding that the increase could enable more homes nationally. Governor Kelly Armstrong and Mayor Tim Mahoney also thanked the secretary and framed the discussion around North Dakota’s mixed urban and rural needs.

Local housing providers described projects Turner toured: senior housing and a development for homeless women and children. Several nonprofit and public-agency leaders said the projects demonstrated effective public–private partnerships and urged continued federal flexibility to scale similar projects across the state.

No formal actions or votes were taken at the roundtable. The meeting was organized as an opportunity for local practitioners to describe operational challenges and for HUD officials to listen and commit to follow-up.

Looking ahead: Turner pledged that HUD will continue work to streamline processes and improve speed and said his team will remain engaged locally through regional staff. Local officials said they will share additional regulatory concerns and technical details with HUD staff for follow-up.