|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Ala., expressed her support for Scott Turner during a Senate Banking Committee nomination hearing. Turner has been tapped to lead the upcoming administration’s Housing and Urban Development Department.
Turner served as a representative in the Texas House of Representatives and later as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Donald Trump’s first term.
Senator Britt began by thanking Turner for his willingness to serve the nation and highlighted his experience, which she believes is important to addressing the challenges at HUD. She pointed to what she described as the negative impact of the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies, including an overbearing regulatory environment and failed economic policies that have worsened the housing crisis.
As the U.S. grapples with a growing shortage of affordable housing, rising home costs and an escalating homelessness crisis, Senator Britt emphasized the urgent need for reform within HUD.
“We all know that we are facing a serious problem when it comes to affordable housing in this country. Whether it’s inflation, whether it’s high construction cost, whether it’s interest rates . . . low inventory – we’ve got a lot of things that we’ve got to tackle in order to be able to fix this,” said Britt. “And unfortunately, over the last four years of the Biden-Harris Administration, these things have not gotten better, they have gotten worse.”
Britt’s comments underscored her belief that the current administration’s approach has been ineffective in curbing the housing affordability crisis. She expressed confidence that Turner, under a new administration, could bring a new focus on solutions rather than imposing additional burdens.
“I am thrilled about the Trump Administration coming in, you being at the helm, [and] getting the Department focused back on solutions and getting real results, rather than prioritizing overburdensome regulations, or mandates, or harmful price controls that ultimately only add fuel to the fire,” said Britt.
Sen. Britt then pivoted to discuss the more immediate challenges confronting Turner if confirmed, including the alarming rise in homelessness. She pointed to the 18 percent jump in homelessness over the past year and a 33 percent increase since 2020, labeling the situation “absolutely unacceptable.”
Furthermore, she pointed out that the average cost of a new home has surged by 30 percent since 2020, with nearly a quarter of this increase attributed to regulatory factors. She urged Turner to tackle the regulatory burden of the housing affordability crisis.
“The fact that 24 percent of the rising cost of homes is directly tied to regulation, I know that you agree that that is unacceptable, and it’s clear that overburdensome regulation is part of this,” said Britt.
Senator Britt asked Turner about his plan to measure the effectiveness of existing HUD programs. She pressed him on how he would identify what is working and what is not in terms of addressing housing needs, homelessness and overall affordability.
“So number one, and I’ve used this word before, ‘inventory,’ and taking an assessment is key,” said Turner. “Is it building more affordable housing, or is it not? Is it helping the homelessness in our country, or is it not? Is it meeting the needs of Americans that we serve, or is it not? We need to go from there, come back to you and this Committee, and say, ‘Hey, this is what we have found. This [is what] works, and this is what is not working.’”
Sen. Britt then expressed her eagerness to work with Turner in ensuring that HUD’s resources are used effectively.
“I look forward to working with you on that and your commitment to making sure that we get this right,” said Britt.
