Latest news with #AffirmativelyFurtheringFairHousingrule
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
HUD Secretary Scott Turner lays out agency wins during first 100 days, shares priorities for next 100
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner sat down with Fox News Digital to discuss some of the agency's biggest wins during the Trump administration's first 100 days, and shared some of HUD's top priorities for the next 100. Some of those wins, according to Scott, include rescinding Biden and Obama-era regulations to spur innovation and creativity in the housing market. Other actions have included reforms focused on ensuring American citizens are the primary beneficiaries of HUD's resources, and ensuring HUD's resources can be accessed in a fair and safe manner. Looking to the future, Turner said implementing work requirements for those in HUD-funded housing programs will be a priority, among others. "We are very focused, we're very detailed, and we're very deliberate about what we do here," Turner said. "Progress and success doesn't just happen. You have to be very intentional about it. You have to be very focused about it. One thing we did on the first day when we came in here is we said we're going to restore the mission-minded focus of HUD… We're called to a specific mission to serve the most vulnerable people of our country, as it pertains to housing, as it pertains to homelessness, as it pertains to disaster recovery, the development of communities, forming public-private partnerships." Part of restoring that "mission-minded focus," according to Turner, has been to tear down "burdensome regulations," such as the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule established under the Obama administration and revived by the Biden administration. "We took this rule down in order to restore flexibility and restore the power back to localities. Because every city, every community, is unique," Turner said, noting that under the now-rescinded rule, bureaucrats in Washington had the power to pick "winners and losers" in local communities. Turner also highlighted a new partnership between HUD and the Department of Homeland Security, aimed at ensuring noncitizens do not take away much-needed HUD resources from American citizens. "We are ensuring that American people live in HUD-funded housing," Turner said. "Also with this partnership, it's a data collection emphasis to understand who's living in housing that's funded by HUD and our FHA insurance, our FHA-backed mortgages, which is also backed by American taxpayers. We took out the non-permanent residence category out of the FHA, which the Biden administration turned a blind eye to." Turner also touted one of his first actions as HUD secretary, which rescinded the Obama-era equal access rule, requiring HUD-funded programs and shelters to determine eligibility based on a person's self-identified gender. "We wanted to take this rule down to protect the women of America and ensure that when people enter into a HUD-funded facility, they are entering in after sex at birth," Turner said of the reform. Looking to the future, Turner said efforts aimed at helping those receiving public assistance become more self-sufficient, such as through work requirements for those in HUD-funded housing, will be a priority for the agency over the next 100 days. "Social safety nets were never meant to be a hammock or a resting place. Social safety nets were meant to be a trampoline, if you will, a tool to project people into a life of self-sustainability and longevity, and so that's something that we will be concentrating on going here forward these next 100 days, if you will," Turner said. "Our heart here at HUD is not to grow the amount of people on subsidies, but it is to reduce the number of people on subsidies and help people to live a life of self sustainability, really, to change the trajectory of people's lives." "We don't want to grow the size of government," Turner added. "We want to shrink the size of government." Turner also said the agency will focus on increasing public-private partnerships to help improve housing affordability and the homelessness epidemic, noting local entities on the ground doing the actual work to affect change are pivotal to HUD completing its mission. When asked about any pushback Turner has received over his slew of policy changes during the Trump administration's first 100 days, the secretary said part of being a strong "servant leader" is to make hard decisions that everybody may not agree with. "But, I consider them to be healthy decisions for our country," Turner said. "At the end of the day, our job is one, to be stewards over taxpayer dollars, but also to be stewards over the lives of Americans as it pertains to entering in HUD-funded facilities."
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - DOGE could be the answer to the US affordable housing crisis
Scott Turner, the newly confirmed secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was quick to announce that Elon Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency was coming to HUD. Turner posted a video on X, the social media platform owned by Musk: 'I'm happy to announce the DOGE task force here at HUD. … We will be very detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent in serving tribal, rural and urban communities across America.' You don't have to be a mind reader or fortune teller to predict what the response will be. Turner's efforts to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse will be met with claims of racism. But having spent most of my adult life in public service as an elected official in Newark, N.J. I have seen firsthand the abject failures of our housing policy. I have seen the damage done to our communities, and I have watched the heart-breaking toll the failures have taken on the most marginalized people. I am here to tell you that ending waste, fraud and abuse is not racism — indeed, the opposite is true. Every dollar lost to waste, fraud and abuse comes at a staggering cost to the families and individuals who rely on HUD. Turner is absolutely right to work with DOGE, to make sure that every penny we spend ends up helping people, not politicians. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. If Turner is truly committed to change, he should commit to systemic reforms, imposing fiscal responsibility and addressing regulatory barriers that have failed families and communities across the country. Here in Newark, I have watched a vicious cycle of failure, attempts at change, and failure again when it comes to housing. For example, the Biden-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule encroached on the ability of state and local governments to respond to community needs, adding a laundry list of government mandates to socially reengineer neighborhoods through red tape and zoning requirements. The result was a costly and ineffective one-size-fits-all approach that made it harder for families and communities to realize the American dream of homeownership. We have seen this playbook before. If we are going to truly break this cycle and actually improve the lives of the citizens who need a hand up, then we need fundamental reform to protect neighborhood integrity and return local property rights to local leadership. Secretary Turner was right to do just that by terminating this Biden-era rule, restoring trust to local communities and property owners. We need to make every effort to empower tenant associations: no one knows the needs of a community better than the residents of that community. Tenant associations should be given the power to bypass bureaucracy and make decisions about how dollars are spent. We need to protect the men and women living in low-income housing; that means ending the ridiculous and dangerous practice of housing young, supposedly 'disabled' people with the elderly in our senior housing projects. We also need an investment in a physical security presence — cameras are not going to keep residents safe or keep criminals out. We need human security in all of our housing projects. We must encourage and develop public-private partnerships that will build housing that you would want to raise a family in, housing that looks like it was built in the 21st century, not Cold War-era nuclear fallout shelters. We should encourage private enterprise and the local, state and federal government to work with local charities and community organizations to build the next generation of housing — one that meets the specific needs of those communities and their residents. We have examples of what works. In Raleigh, N.C., King's Ridge just opened, a 100-unit affordable housing community that is providing state-of-the-art housing and services to the most in-need individuals and families in the area. King's Ridge was a collaborative effort between the government, private business and local charities. Residents at King's Ridge pay one-third of their income for rent and utilities. Housing is considered affordable when a household spends no more than 30 percent of income on housing costs. King's Ridge is reserved for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of area median income, with priority given to households at 30 percent. In addition to housing, the complex offers supportive services to help residents, including case management, physical and mental healthcare, employment coaching and child care. Comprehensive, wrap-around care like this helps ensure that residents have the resources they need to build a better life for themselves and work toward a future without government support. The King's Ridge development recognizes that a lack of affordable housing impacts almost every facet of an individual's or family's life — from academic success to mental health to substance abuse issues to family stability. What is happening at King's Ridge is a recipe for success that can and should be duplicated. What is needed today is courage, to admit our failures, to chart a new path forward and to ignore what is politically expedient in favor of what is morally right. It is time that our politicians and our leaders channel the words of the great Martin Luther King Jr., who wrote, 'Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles. Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it. Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right?' Secretary Turner is taking bold action that is needed. I applaud his leadership — it is time to do what is right for our nation's most vulnerable people. Gayle Cheneyfield Jenkins is a long-time member of the Newark City Council and an advocate for affordable housing Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-02-2025
- Business
- The Hill
DOGE could be the answer to the US affordable housing crisis
Scott Turner, the newly confirmed secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was quick to announce that Elon Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency was coming to HUD. Turner posted a video on X, the social media platform owned by Musk: 'I'm happy to announce the DOGE task force here at HUD. … We will be very detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent in serving tribal, rural and urban communities across America.' You don't have to be a mind reader or fortune teller to predict what the response will be. Turner's efforts to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse will be met with claims of racism. But having spent most of my adult life in public service as an elected official in Newark, N.J. I have seen firsthand the abject failures of our housing policy. I have seen the damage done to our communities, and I have watched the heart-breaking toll the failures have taken on the most marginalized people. I am here to tell you that ending waste, fraud and abuse is not racism — indeed, the opposite is true. Every dollar lost to waste, fraud and abuse comes at a staggering cost to the families and individuals who rely on HUD. Turner is absolutely right to work with DOGE, to make sure that every penny we spend ends up helping people, not politicians. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. If Turner is truly committed to change, he should commit to systemic reforms, imposing fiscal responsibility and addressing regulatory barriers that have failed families and communities across the country. Here in Newark, I have watched a vicious cycle of failure, attempts at change, and failure again when it comes to housing. For example, the Biden-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule encroached on the ability of state and local governments to respond to community needs, adding a laundry list of government mandates to socially reengineer neighborhoods through red tape and zoning requirements. The result was a costly and ineffective one-size-fits-all approach that made it harder for families and communities to realize the American dream of homeownership. We have seen this playbook before. If we are going to truly break this cycle and actually improve the lives of the citizens who need a hand up, then we need fundamental reform to protect neighborhood integrity and return local property rights to local leadership. Secretary Turner was right to do just that by terminating this Biden-era rule, restoring trust to local communities and property owners. We need to make every effort to empower tenant associations: no one knows the needs of a community better than the residents of that community. Tenant associations should be given the power to bypass bureaucracy and make decisions about how dollars are spent. We need to protect the men and women living in low-income housing; that means ending the ridiculous and dangerous practice of housing young, supposedly 'disabled' people with the elderly in our senior housing projects. We also need an investment in a physical security presence — cameras are not going to keep residents safe or keep criminals out. We need human security in all of our housing projects. We must encourage and develop public-private partnerships that will build housing that you would want to raise a family in, housing that looks like it was built in the 21st century, not Cold War-era nuclear fallout shelters. We should encourage private enterprise and the local, state and federal government to work with local charities and community organizations to build the next generation of housing — one that meets the specific needs of those communities and their residents. We have examples of what works. In Raleigh, N.C., King's Ridge just opened, a 100-unit affordable housing community that is providing state-of-the-art housing and services to the most in-need individuals and families in the area. King's Ridge was a collaborative effort between the government, private business and local charities. Residents at King's Ridge pay one-third of their income for rent and utilities. Housing is considered affordable when a household spends no more than 30 percent of income on housing costs. King's Ridge is reserved for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of area median income, with priority given to households at 30 percent. In addition to housing, the complex offers supportive services to help residents, including case management, physical and mental healthcare, employment coaching and child care. Comprehensive, wrap-around care like this helps ensure that residents have the resources they need to build a better life for themselves and work toward a future without government support. The King's Ridge development recognizes that a lack of affordable housing impacts almost every facet of an individual's or family's life — from academic success to mental health to substance abuse issues to family stability. What is happening at King's Ridge is a recipe for success that can and should be duplicated. What is needed today is courage, to admit our failures, to chart a new path forward and to ignore what is politically expedient in favor of what is morally right. It is time that our politicians and our leaders channel the words of the great Martin Luther King Jr., who wrote, 'Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles. Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it. Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right?' Secretary Turner is taking bold action that is needed. I applaud his leadership — it is time to do what is right for our nation's most vulnerable people.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump scraps Biden-era fair housing rule
The Trump administration on Wednesday revoked a Biden-era fair housing proposed rule requiring localities to track and address patterns of segregation in their communities in order to receive federal funds. The Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2023 proposed the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule — a reworked version of an Obama-era rule that President Donald Trump had scrapped in 2020 — to crack down on housing discrimination. But the Biden White House never finalized the rule, much to the chagrin of fair housing advocates and some Democrats in Congress, in part because of campaign concerns. Trump had weaponized the earlier version of the rule during the 2020 campaign, declaring that Democrats wanted to 'abolish the suburbs.' Had the 2021 rule been finalized, HUD would have been required to go through formal notice-and-comment rulemaking to revise or repeal it, a time-consuming process. The Biden administration withdrew the proposal in the Federal Register in January, and HUD put out an interim final rule replacing it on Wednesday. 'Local and state governments understand the needs of their communities much better than bureaucrats in Washington DC,' HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement. 'Terminating this rule restores trust in local communities and property owners, while protecting America's suburbs and neighborhood integrity.' Going forward, the agency will accept a locality's self-certification that it is affirmatively furthering fair housing in accordance with the 1968 Fair Housing Act. '[L]ocalities will no longer be required to complete onerous paperwork and drain their budgets to comply with the extreme and restrictive demands made up by the federal government,' Turner added. 'This action also returns decisions on zoning, home building, transportation, and more to local leaders.' The move comes amid the Trump administration's campaign to stamp out 'diversity, equity and inclusion' programs across the federal government. Some 74 percent of white Americans own their own homes compared with just 46 percent of Black Americans. That 28-point gap is actually wider than it was in 1960 — when housing discrimination was still legal.
Politico
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump scraps Biden-era fair housing rule
The Trump administration on Wednesday revoked a Biden-era fair housing proposed rule requiring localities to track and address patterns of segregation in their communities in order to receive federal funds. The Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2023 proposed the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule — a reworked version of an Obama-era rule that President Donald Trump had scrapped in 2020 — to crack down on housing discrimination. But the Biden White House never finalized the rule, much to the chagrin of fair housing advocates and some Democrats in Congress, in part because of campaign concerns. Trump had weaponized the earlier version of the rule during the 2020 campaign, declaring that Democrats wanted to 'abolish the suburbs.' Had the 2021 rule been finalized, HUD would have been required to go through formal notice-and-comment rulemaking to revise or repeal it, a time-consuming process. The Biden administration withdrew the proposal in the Federal Register in January, and HUD put out an interim final rule replacing it on Wednesday. 'Local and state governments understand the needs of their communities much better than bureaucrats in Washington DC,' HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement. 'Terminating this rule restores trust in local communities and property owners, while protecting America's suburbs and neighborhood integrity.' Going forward, the agency will accept a locality's self-certification that it is affirmatively furthering fair housing in accordance with the 1968 Fair Housing Act. '[L]ocalities will no longer be required to complete onerous paperwork and drain their budgets to comply with the extreme and restrictive demands made up by the federal government,' Turner added. 'This action also returns decisions on zoning, home building, transportation, and more to local leaders.' The move comes amid the Trump administration's campaign to stamp out 'diversity, equity and inclusion' programs across the federal government. Some 74 percent of white Americans own their own homes compared with just 46 percent of Black Americans. That 28-point gap is actually wider than it was in 1960 — when housing discrimination was still legal.
