Ex-NFL Star Tapped as HUD Chief Has Game Plan for Agency

Scott Turner, nominated to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development, on Thursday likened his proposed approach to leading the federal agency to his days as a cornerback playing for the NFL’s then-Washington Redskins.

“When I played in the NFL, we relied on game films to identify our mistakes and areas for improvement. I spent hours poring over the tapes to identify the smallest weaknesses in my game and determine what I could do to improve,” Turner told members of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee at his confirmation hearing.

Improving the department by making it more efficient and maximizing the efficient use of its resources was a refrain Turner returned to throughout the hearing. 

The panel’s chairman, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., opened the proceedings by noting that housing “isn’t just about shelter.”

“Housing is about opportunity, and it is about stability. Housing creates the foundation for achieving the American dream.” But he noted that the data is clear: “The American dream of homeownership is slipping further and further away.”

The South Carolina senator noted that Turner had been the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during President Donald Trump’s first term. In that position, Turner assisted with the Opportunity Zones initiative, which Scott had authored. The program, enacted through Trump’s tax cuts legislation, directed private investment into devastated communities with federal tax incentives. 

In his opening statement at the hearing, Turner discussed how he had worked as a dishwasher while in high school, and he noted his background as a child of divorce. He emphasized that the challenges HUD seeks to address were personal for him.

“They’re not just things I hear about and read about. These are experiences that members of my family and I have seen and lived. And that perspective is something I can bring to the table,” Turner declared to the committee, clearly moved by his testimony. 

A topic of much discussion during the hearing was the housing crisis in the United States. The nominee highlighted how owning a home was key to building intergenerational wealth. When Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., asked Turner why he thought housing costs were so high, he cited a lack of supply of homes. “We need about 7 million new housing units in America,” he said.

Turner committed to making the most of HUD’s budget. 

In one of the most moving parts of the hearing, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., recalled growing up in a trailer park. He said that being the head of a federal department requires intercepting bad ideas.

“One bad idea is just throwing money after something without trying to figure out how to fix the plumbing in HUD,” Tillis said. He asked if he could get Turner’s commitment to do an audit of HUD, which Turner agreed to. 

Freshman Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, noted that as many as 12 million illegal immigrants have entered the country since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021 and asked how illegal migration affected the housing crisis. Turner referenced a HUD report that illegal migration had contributed significantly to housing supply-and-demand issues. “It’s a huge burden,” he said. 

Turner said localities are best equipped to address the housing problems they face. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., mused about a potential congressional plan to incentivize localities and state governments to build more housing. Turner responded by noting that “incentives do a lot” and that “competition always brings out the best.”  

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., asked about how tariffs on imported lumber might affect housing construction. Turner demurred from criticizing the tariffs placed on softwood by either the Trump or Biden administrations, pointing out that imposing or not imposing tariffs was the responsibility of the president and Congress. 

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., asked about the Biden administration’s emphasis on “equity” at HUD. “Do you think HUD should be holding grant applicants hostage to a [diversity, equity and inclusion] agenda?” he asked. Turner replied that the government shouldn’t hold grant applicants “hostage to anything.” He agreed to looking into those Biden administration HUD regulations. 

Another member of the committee, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told The Daily Signal in a statement that “Scott Turner is a strong pick for secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and I look forward to working with him. His experience working in the housing space is exactly what America needs right now. Our country is facing a serious affordable housing crisis. Inflation, high costs, and low inventory have put homeownership even further out of reach.

“Exacerbating that crisis is the fact that 24% of the cost of building a new home is from government regulation. Whether it’s buying a home or succeeding in business, it is critical we ensure families across our nation can achieve their own personal American dream. Scott Turner is ready to be a part of that, and he will do a phenomenal job of instituting President Trump’s agenda,” Britt said.

Turner’s hearing was much less contentious than those this week of some other Trump nominees selected to head federal departments. Some senators welcomed the nominee with a discussion of football, given his previous career.

The post Ex-NFL Star Tapped as HUD Chief Has Game Plan for Agency appeared first on The Daily Signal.