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HUD nominee Turner tells Senate committee ‘HUD is failing at its most basic mission’
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Summary
During his confirmation hearing, nominee Mr. Turner told a Senate committee that HUD is failing to address homelessness, cited a HUD point-in-time report that found about 770,000 people homeless on one night in January 2024, and said he would push for more housing and for HUD staff to return to the office if confirmed.
Mr. Turner, the nominee to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, told a Senate committee he is “humbled” to be nominated and said HUD is falling short on its core responsibilities, pointing to homelessness data and workforce issues.
“HUD, if you will, is failing at its most basic mission, and that has to come to an end,” Turner said, urging federal and local partners to build more housing and calling for changes inside the agency.
Turner cited a HUD point-in-time report that, he said, “on Dec. 27” showed about 770,000 people were homeless on a single night in January 2024. He said the country needs “millions of homes” — including multifamily, single-family, duplexes, condominiums and manufactured housing — to address the shortage.
Turner described his personal background and public-sector experience as relevant to the post: he grew up in Richardson and Plano, Texas; worked as a dishwasher at Spring Creek Barbecue; attended the University of Illinois; played in the National Football League after being drafted in the seventh round; served in the Texas legislature; worked in the White House on Opportunity Zones; and has led a family foundation. He said those experiences shape how he would approach HUD’s mission.
Turner also called for changes to HUD’s workplace culture, saying employee attendance and engagement are problems. “We need to bring HUD staff back to work, back to the office to do the job and empower them to serve the American people,” he said.
He praised the Opportunity Zone initiative, which he said helped people in underserved communities start businesses and improve housing outcomes, and said he would continue and expand policies from the first Trump administration that he described as successful.
Turner repeatedly framed his remarks as personal and practical: he said his family’s experiences informed his view of HUD’s work and that, if confirmed, he would focus on measurable results. He closed by thanking committee members, his wife Robin, and President Trump for the nomination.
No formal vote or committee decision is recorded in the transcript excerpt provided; the hearing continues to determine whether the committee will advance the nomination to a final confirmation vote.
