OAN Staff Abril Elfi
10:44 AM – Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Scott Turner has been confirmed to take on the role of head of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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On Wednesday, Turner, a former NFL player from Richardson, Texas, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate following a 55-44 vote. Democrat Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined Republicans in voting to confirm Turner.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is part of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said during a floor speech that Turner is now facing a “big job” to tackle the HUD, but believes he: “has the grit, the determination, and passion to get it done.”
“This is an important role. Our country is facing a housing crisis affecting big cities, rural areas, tribal lands — literally every part of our country. Higher construction costs and burdensome regulations have made homebuilding challenging. And what homes are on the market are too pricey for many Americans,” Thune said.
“Many parts of the country have homelessness challenges. Too many distressed communities are struggling to turn their fortunes around,” Thune continued. “And despite a windfall of additional funding for HUD, these problems are, in many cases, getting worse.”
During his confirmation hearing, Turner noted that his attention is now on implementing plans in a department with a $70 billion budget and 8,000 employees — including new plans regarding housing costs and the U.S.’s homelessness problem.
“HUD is failing at its most basic mission, and that has to come to an end,” Turner said. “As a country, we’re not building enough housing. We need millions of homes, all kinds of homes: multifamily, single-family, duplex, condos, manufactur[ed] housing, you name it.”
Turner played for the NFL for nine years — joining the Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers, and the Denver Broncos. After his time with the NFL, he later ran for state office in his home state of Texas, where he served as a legislator for several years.
He previously served as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC) during Trump’s first term.
He also served as chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute.
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