Scott Turner, newly confirmed as the secretary of housing and urban development, has outlined his priorities for the agency in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Turner's focus will be on several key areas, with the privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at the forefront.
"There are partners that will be at the table and obviously we'll be one of them," Turner told the publication. He plans to work closely with the Treasury Department and Congress, describing his role as a "quarterback" in the process. "When you're a quarterback, you've got to work with the entire huddle," he said.
Turner also intends to launch a comprehensive review of HUD to identify inefficiencies and streamline operations. "All programs and policies will be looked at with a fine-toothed comb," he said, indicating that this review would include policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Addressing housing affordability is another crucial aspect of Turner's agenda. He plans to ease federal regulations to help lower housing costs and encourage state and local governments to do the same. The new secretary expressed his intention to continue work on "opportunity zones," which were promoted during the first Trump administration as a means to encourage investment in low-income areas.
Turner's vision for HUD extends beyond urban areas. He mentioned plans to allow more building on federal lands, which he said "could include rural, urban and tribal areas." To gain firsthand knowledge of housing issues across the country, Turner plans to travel extensively, in part "to see what land is available."
Interestingly, Turner suggested the possibility of changing HUD's name to better reflect its expanded reach. He believes the department's scope should include rural and tribal communities. However, he acknowledged that such a change would "take a lot of time and conversation and thought" and would require congressional support.
Most recently, Turner served as the chief visionary officer at JPI, a multifamily housing development firm. His career path has been diverse, including stints as an NFL player for nine seasons and two terms as a Texas state representative. Turner also served in the first Trump administration as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
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Erika Morphy
Erika Morphy has been writing about commercial real estate at GlobeSt.com for more than ten years, covering the capital markets, the Mid-Atlantic region and national topics. She's a nerd so favorite examples of the former include accounting standards, Basel III and what Congress is brewing.
