In November, President Donald Trump tapped Scott Turner to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under his administration. As HUD Secretary nominee, Turner is expected to lead the roughly $68 billion agency, which provides rental assistance, builds and preserves affordable housing, addresses homelessness, and enforces the Fair Housing Act. While his recent Senate confirmation hearing gave us a glimpse into the new Secretary’s plans for leading HUD, many people are still wondering, ‘Who is Scott Turner and what should we know about him?’
Who is Scott Turner?
While some may know him as a former cornerback in the NFL, Scott Turner shifted into politics after his football career ended, which led him to gain some experience in housing-related work. Between 2013 and 2017, he served in the Texas House of Representatives. Then, in 2019, Trump appointed Turner to lead the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, which was tasked with turning around distressed communities through the “Opportunity Zones” initiative. (It should be noted that, while this effort received bipartisan praise, critics suggest that the wealthy investors who received tax breaks actually benefited more than local residents the program was intended to help.) Most recently, Mr. Turner chaired the Center for Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that was founded in 2021 to promote Donald Trump’s public policy agenda.
Senators have pressed Turner on commitment to fair housing
During Turner’s recent confirmation hearing, Senators on the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs pressed the nominee on his plans for addressing the many housing issues facing our nation. Ahead of the hearing, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent Turner a 13-page letter, containing more than 75 questions, on a number of housing issues he would be addressing as HUD Secretary. Among her concerns was how Turner plans to protect fair housing and address discrimination. Senator Warren pressed Turner on his plans to implement HUD’s Equal Access rule, to preserve HUD’s “Discriminatory Effects” rule, and how he plans to keep families with mixed immigration status together in federally assisted housing. Senator Warren also asked Turner to commit to ensuring adequate funding, so that the Fair Housing Act can be fully enforced, and inquired about his plans to bring enforcement actions against entities that violate fair housing and civil rights laws. During Turner’s confirmation hearing, Senator Warnock (D-GA) also raised questions about fair housing and Turner’s commitment to vigorous enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. While Turner agreed that he will uphold fair housing laws, if confirmed, what that will look like remains to be seen.
Turner’s track record on housing issues raises concerns
Housing and homelessness advocates have raised additional concerns over Scott Turner’s track record on addressing homelessness. According to a letter urging Senators to vote no on Turner’s confirmation, advocates from leading homeless nonprofits say that Scott Turner:
- Rejects the overwhelming evidence that housing, with voluntary services, is one of the most effective solutions to homelessness;
- Endorses arresting and ticketing homeless people for simply trying to survive; and,
- Has a legislative track record of voting in contrast to proven solutions to end homelessness, including:
- Opposing bills that would expand affordable rental housing and fund public-private funding to support homeless residents, and
- Supporting a bill allowing landlords to discriminate against tenants applying for housing simply because they receive federal housing assistance.
Housing and real estate trade groups express support
Despite the criticism he has received, not all housing groups oppose Turner’s confirmation as HUD Secretary. In fact, the nation’s leading housing and real estate industry trade organizations submitted a letter to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs to express their support of Mr. Turner’s confirmation. The organizations – including the National Association of Realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Home Builders, Appraisal Institute and National Multifamily Housing Council – wrote that “Mr. Turner possesses an impressive background in both housing and community development,” adding that Turner “understands the value of strengthening public-private partnerships and collaborating with stakeholders to expand the supply of housing.”
Working for fair housing under the new administration
As housing advocates have been closely following the Trump administration’s plans for housing, many are concerned about what is to come under the new administration. During the first Trump administration, we saw several attempts to slash HUD’s budget and weaken tools for enforcing fair housing laws. One blow to fair housing efforts was the administration’s suspension of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulation. Another worry is that the Trump administration’s policies will be influenced by Project 2025, or similar policy agendas. Following an analysis of the potential implications Project 2025 could have on housing, lending, and technology, Nikitra Bailey, executive vice president of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), noted that “the extremist policy priorities would harm all of us—children, people of color, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, older individuals, people of faith, students, LGBTQ+, families, and more.”
Last week, the Senate Banking Committee voted to advance Scott Turner’s nomination to the full Senate. If the Senate votes to confirm him, Scott Turner will become the next Secretary of HUD. While it is still too soon to know exactly what we can expect from this administration’s approach to housing policy, advocates are prepared to continue fighting for housing rights. The National Fair Housing Alliance recently reaffirmed their commitment to holding every administration accountable for ensuring fair housing laws are upheld, adding, “We stand ready to defend any attempt to weaken existing fair housing and civil rights protections. Now is the time to advance fair housing opportunities for everyone, not just some.” The Fair Housing Center echoes NFHA’s statement, and promises to remain laser-focused on our mission of protecting and expanding fair housing rights for all people – no matter what challenges we face.