Over the weekend, President-elect Trump introduced his nomination of Scott Turner to steer the U.S. Division of Housing and City Growth (HUD). Turner, a former NFL participant and Texas legislator, could be the primary — and thus far, solely — Black appointee in Trump’s second cupboard. For housing advocates, his nomination and Trump’s anti-fair-housing agenda increase loads of crimson flags.
Certainly, whereas most housing advocates know little about Turner, they’re amply conscious of and anxious about what the second Trump Administration has signaled shall be its housing coverage.
Trump’s housing insurance policies weren’t nice
Throughout Trump’s first time period, HUD — below Dr. Ben Carson — targeted on insurance policies just like the Rental Help Demonstration (RAD) program, designed to restore growing older public housing. Since a lot of the nation’s public housing is greater than 50 years outdated, lots of the buildings want billions of {dollars} in repairs and updates. Sounds nice, proper?
Not so quick — these insurance policies usually got here with a catch: HUD additionally supported closing public housing properties deemed “too costly to repair,” leaving households with Part 8 vouchers that didn’t all the time translate into houses.
Having a voucher doesn’t assure discovering housing. Households could also be unable to discover a landlord who will settle for the voucher — and, in some circumstances, the voucher can expire earlier than the household finds a house.
“I think {that a} key initiative for this subsequent administration shall be to extend the variety of public housing properties eligible for RAD, particularly contemplating that Congress is now Republican-led and Congressional authorization is required for this program,” Sue Popkin, a fellow with City Institute, instructed Phrase In Black about Trump’s plans.
“Over the following 4 years, I hope that HUD will guarantee these companies have the help and sources wanted to permit their residents to thrive,” she stated. “I hope that Turner doesn’t comply with in Carson’s path by proposing cuts that might displace older adults and folks with disabilities [who have] very low incomes.”
Evictions, homelessness, and Challenge 2025
Peggy Bailey, government vp for coverage and program growth on the Heart on Finances and Coverage Priorities, stated the brand new administration’s agenda may make issues even worse.
“The incoming Administration has laid out an agenda that makes clear they’ll attempt to make it more durable for people who find themselves struggling to afford lease, worsen discrimination, and undercut efficient efforts to deal with homelessness, much like what we noticed within the first Trump Administration,” she stated.
Associated: Homelessness surges, affecting black and latino communities
Bailey is particularly involved as a result of Turner’s nomination comes towards the backdrop of the Trump administration’s earlier efforts — criticized by each Democrats and Republicans — to dismantle honest housing protections. Slashing packages just like the Neighborhood Growth Block Grant falls proper in step with the conservative Heritage Basis’s Challenge 2025, which might reverse features in honest housing and honest lending, in addition to shred the housing security internet.
An NFL and Trump 1.0 background
For 9 years, Turner performed NFL soccer for the previously named Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers, and the Denver Broncos. He later was elected to the Texas legislature and served as a state consultant till 2017.
Throughout Trump’s first time period, Turner led the White Home Alternative and Revitalization Council, which he positioned as serving the nation’s “most distressed communities” in his Friday evening announcement. He additionally serves as a chair on the Heart for Schooling Alternative at America First Coverage Institute, a assume tank aligned with Trump.
In the end, Bailey stated, “Their plans will result in extra evictions and homelessness. We’ve seen this playbook earlier than. Policymakers ought to reject these excessive proposals and prioritize ensuring that everybody on this nation can afford a house.”
