HUD Secretary Scott Turner visits Henrico development, urges regulatory rollbacks to lower housing costs

HUD Secretary Scott Turner visited a Henrico County townhouse development on a tour with Rep. Rob Whitman to highlight local public‑private efforts and press for fewer regulatory barriers to building and buying homes.

Turner said the project — built by H. H. Hunt — shows how private development with local partnerships can produce townhouses listed around $360,000–$370,000 in a market where single‑family median prices were cited at about $420,000 and townhouses about $380,000. "We have just published our regulatory best practices report to help state and local governments understand what are they doing around the country to ease the regulatory environment," Turner said, urging local control over zoning and permitting decisions.

The secretary framed the federal role as one of removing impediments. He criticized the prior "affirmatively furthering" housing rule, saying it "essentially made Washington a national zoning board," and said the administration rolled that rule back to "restore control back to the localities." Turner also highlighted FHA programs, saying "at FHA, at HUD, we have 1,500,000 home buyers to be able to afford a home, and 80% of those were 1st time" buyers.

Rep. Rob Whitman said housing affordability requires cooperation among federal, state and local governments and pointed to several federal policy tools. He cited the House‑passed Speed Act to reform federal review processes and the Working Families Tax Cut bill's opportunity zones as measures intended to accelerate projects and spur private investment. "You realize that for a new home on average across United States, 40% of the cost of that new home is embedded in the cost of regulations. On an average home, that's a $131,000," Whitman said, arguing that reducing regulatory costs and expanding financing options, including lower down‑payment requirements, would help first‑time buyers and growing families.

Charlotte Woods, a Virginia health and housing reporter, asked what provisions from the recently enacted Road to Housing Act might be reconsidered next term. Whitman said lawmakers should continue to seek regulatory relief and additional financing options so families can move into larger homes as they grow. When asked whether Henrico's Affordable Housing Trust Fund was gaining federal attention, Whitman called local trust funds "a good thing" and said federal, state and local coordination is important to make those dollars available to developers and prospective homeowners.

No formal federal actions or votes were taken at the site visit; the event was a promotional stop and a public exchange of policy views. Speakers described published guidance (the HUD regulatory best practices report) and legislative proposals as next steps rather than completed federal changes.

The visit concluded with brief remarks and thanks from Turner and Whitman.