HUD nominees pledge to reduce red tape, prioritize tribal housing and homelessness

Ben Hopps and Ronnie Kurtz, President Trump's nominees for senior housing posts at HUD, told the Senate Banking Committee they will prioritize increasing affordable housing supply, improving public housing conditions, and easing regulatory burdens that block local use of federal funds.

Hopps, the nominee for Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, said he has visited tribes and public housing authorities across the country and that 'the solution to homelessness isn't just a house' but also requires attention to mental health and substance abuse. He pledged that 'if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to ensure we dramatically increase the number of heartwarming stories and put an end to these heartbreaking stories.'

Ronnie Kurtz, nominated as Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, drew on his local government experience in Georgia to argue that 'government regulation, even at the smallest levels, has a way of stifling development.' He told senators HUD can help by 'taking inventory of programs and moving with urgency toward outcomes' and by making it easier for communities to draw down funds and deploy solutions such as renovating blighted industrial buildings, expanding prefabricated housing, and reviewing requirements for manufactured homes.

Senators pressed the nominees on specific priorities: Senator Cortez Masto asked what HUD would do to increase housing supply in Indian country; Hopps said HUD is looking at regulatory hurdles (including elements of NEPA and radon rules) and will engage tribes through a tribal interagency advisory committee to identify and reduce unnecessary burdens on Indian housing block grant funds. Senators also discussed time-limited regulatory flexibilities, family self‑sufficiency programs, and pilot efforts to renovate adaptive reuse projects.

Why it matters: HUD distributes tens of billions in housing assistance and program rules and administrative complexity can limit smaller communities' ability to access funds; nominees emphasized administration and regulatory changes as tools to unlock local capacity.

Representative quotes used in context: Hopps: 'If confirmed, I will work tirelessly to ensure we dramatically increase the number of heartwarming stories and put an end to these heartbreaking stories.' Kurtz: 'Government regulation, even at the smallest levels, has a way of stifling development.'