Freshly confirmed and sworn in, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner held his first town hall with department staff as the Trump administration’s housing leader.
He used the brief proceeding to thank the department’s staff, to praise his Trump-era predecessor Ben Carson and to lay out his vision for how they will aim to accomplish HUD’s mission.
In a separate press conference on Thursday, Turner announced a change in department policies regarding gender identity in alignment with the administration, and the establishment of a collaborative task force with Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to assess the efficacy of HUD programs.
Equal access rule
“I am directing the HUD staff to halt any pending or future enforcement actions related to HUD’s 2016 equal access rule, which in essence tied housing programs, shelters and other facilities funded by HUD, to quote, gender identity,” Turner told reporters, according to the New York Post. “This means recognizing there are only two sexes, male and female. It’s time to get rid of all the far-left gender ideology.”
The move reflects the broader action of the president and an executive order issued on his first day in office as he seeks to reorient the stances of the federal government to align with the preferences of the White House.
The 2016 equal access rule was initially designed by the Obama administration to “[ensure] equal access for individuals in accordance with their gender identity in programs and shelter funded under programs administered by HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD).”
It initially took effect two weeks prior to Trump’s first election to the presidency, and the first Trump administration stated its intent to roll the rule back in mid-2020. However, likely dominated by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rollback was never implemented and the following year, the Biden administration withdrew the rollback proposal.
As of Friday afternoon, policy reflecting Turner’s announced rollback has yet to be published in official government channels.
First HUD town hall
At the HUD town hall with department staff, Turner began by thanking members of his family, President Trump for nominating him to serve in the role and his team for guiding him through what he said was an “arduous” confirmation experience. Turner also leaned into his history as a Baptist preacher, thanking the “prayer warriors” who helped to guide him through the nomination and confirmation process.
He added that he hopes to earn the trust of the team at the department by calling himself a “servant leader” while aiming to introduce himself and what will motivate his leadership at the department. Turner mentioned his upbringing in Dallas and his career in the NFL, using those experiences to describe his understanding of adversity. At 5-foot-10, Turner says he was often seen as an “underdog” but that his speed helped lead him to a nine-season career in professional football.
“When God takes you out of your comfort zone, you don’t grow. Complacency is a killer,” he said. “I don’t ever want to be comfortable or complacent because then, we’re not growing. We’re not learning or achieving in the way that we should.”
Turner referenced his time directing investment for opportunity zones as part of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), describing his travels across the country to provide for whom he called “forgotten Americans.” He then described his private sector and foundation work, and turned his attention to the future of the department.
“I want you all to know that we will be intentionally mission-minded,” Turner said. “Whatever goes on in this agency, let’s ask ourselves ‘what is the mission,’ and go from there. We’re going to have some hard, healthy conversations with each other, but this is one team. Let’s stay mission-minded.”
Looking ahead
Bringing “new life” to communities including urban, rural and Tribal areas will be a priority, as will be addressing housing affordability and inventory shortages nationwide. He mentioned a need to address homelessness and disaster recovery, saying that the challenges present opportunities to enact policies in furtherance of the president’s executive order to address the cost of living and housing.
“We have to find long-term solutions to make homes affordable, to spur business creation, and to create economic opportunity for every American family. That’s promise number one,” he said. “Promise number two is this: Efficiency, transparency, accountability and integrity will drive every decision we make as an agency. Together, we’ll take inventory of every program we have and make sure that we are the absolute best—so that we can serve the people we’ve been called to serve.”
Turner reiterated his desire to “maximize” HUD’s existing budget and resources, something he mentioned during his Senate confirmation hearing.
“We have to take inventory of everything we’re doing here at HUD to make sure we’re serving the way we’re supposed to serve — maximizing the budget and the resources we have to serve the American people.”
