Today, Committee Members reviewed the role of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and highlighted potential solutions to providing housing affordability for Americans.
On Public Housing Safety:
Chairman French Hill (AR-02) said, “I want to turn to my home state of Arkansas for a moment and the deeply troubling situation that we've had for the past several years at the Little Rock Housing Authority. What's occurred there is truly baffling to me and, frankly, inconceivable. Residents are now at risk of displacement through no fault of their own. They're paying the price for repeated failures by the housing authority itself, including not filling out required audits. They're engaging in reckless decision making that puts both residents and taxpayers at risk. And, I've written multiple letters expressing my dismay, including the request of the HUD Office of Inspector General to investigate the matter. And I have to tell you, Mr. Secretary, I've been disappointed in the city's oversight of the public housing agency, their board of directors, the local HUD office in Little Rock, the regional office in Dallas Fort Worth. And, if it's happening in Little Rock, I know it's happening across the country where taxpayers are not being dealt with fairly, but more importantly, our citizens dependent on a section eight voucher program to be in a safe, clean housing situation are finding disasters.”
Committee Vice Chairman Bill Huizenga (MI-04) questioned Secretary Turner on the work HUD is doing to hold local housing authorities accountable, to which the Secretary responded, “Public housing should be safe housing. And, so, we have a task force. We announced a new hotline that people can call if there's nefarious activity going on in our public housing authorities. … There's drug trafficking, there's sex trafficking, there's domestic violence. There's all kind of things that are going on criminally inside of housing authorities. And I'm not willing to turn a blind eye to that anymore. But we need to protect our women, our children, and our families to be safe in housing authority. So, I unapologetically want to say we're going to root out crime and come for those who are doing criminal and nefarious activity, because we will not stand for that any longer, sir.”
On the Housing for the 21st Century Act and Other Legislative Solutions:
Rep. Roger Williams (TX-25) said, “Many of HUD’s core housing projects were designed decades ago for very different housing market than we have today. And, well, construction costs, financing, and building methods have changed. Many federal requirements have stayed the same. This is why the Housing for the 21st Century Act take necessary approach to modernizing outdated programs, cutting unnecessary red tape, and restoring flexibility for states, local governments, and housing providers.”
Rep. John Rose (TN-06) said, “Secretary Turner, our bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act, which this committee advanced in December, includes my Housing Supply Expansion Act of 2025. This legislation would finally remove the outdated federal requirement that has long driven up the price of manufactured homes and limited innovation in the sector."
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) said, “Also, an important part of this committee is the Housing for the 21st Century Act. I know that you and President Trump are working to make the dream of owning a home more attainable for Americans. In the 21st Century Act, it will serve as the cornerstone of those efforts and yet can be another win for the American people, as well as for President Trump and Republicans. It would be a win for all of us.”
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions Chairman Andy Barr (KY-06) said, “Since the inception of Housing First over a decade ago, homelessness, as you know, has only increased, with data showing it reached an all-time high in 2024. That’s why, for multiple Congresses, I’ve introduced the Housing Plus Act that expands the toolbox at our disposal to address homelessness and introduces an all-of-the-above approach. Specifically, my bill prohibits HUD from restricting CoC funds to providers that provide wraparound services.”
Secretary Turner Echoed the Work of the Committee:
The Honorable Scott Turner, Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary said, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are fulfilling our mission of fostering strong communities by supporting access to quality, affordable housing, expanding the housing supply, and unlocking homeownership opportunities for the American people. And we’re doing that by empowering Americans and cutting red tape instead of intruding government power into every corner of Americans’ lives. As part of our campaign against overregulation, we eliminated the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which turned HUD into a national zoning board and robbed local communities of their zoning powers.”
