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Housing in 2025 faces quite a few challenges, and most of the points have carried over from yr to yr. Affordability, excessive rates of interest and lack of stock are points we as actual property brokers face each day, as folks aren’t motivated to maneuver until they should.
Homelessness and creating extra reasonably priced housing to purchase or lease are perpetual points in want of actual, tangible options. Newly confirmed HUD Secretary Scott Turner has an amazing job forward of him. Is he as much as the duty and what does his management appear to be for the actual property business?
Turner grew up exterior of Dallas, Texas, and, in accordance with an article from ProPublica, categorized his upbringing as “a young kid from a broken home, from a poor family.” His mother and father’ relationship was “filled with violence, domestic violence, abuse, a lot of anger [and] alcohol.”
He attended the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on a soccer scholarship and went on to play professionally for the NFL for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. From there, Turner transitioned into politics, interning for former Republican California Consultant Duncan Hunter, and, after unsuccessfully operating for a California congressional seat in 2006, Turner moved again to Texas.
He continued to pursue politics and was elected to the Texas Home of Representatives in 2012 the place he served for 4 years. He’s a motivational speaker and pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. He additionally served as chair of President Trump’s assume tank, America First Coverage Institute.
Based on ProPublica, his views on housing got here into focus via his votes on associated points throughout his time within the Texas legislature. He voted towards supporting foreclosures prevention applications and opposed laws to assist public authorities exchange or rehabilitate their property (however did vote for a minor enlargement of that invoice two years later).
Based on the Houston Chronicle, Turner needed to require drug testing for households making use of for presidency help. He supported some modest housing help, reminiscent of laws selling housing developments for seniors and people in rural areas get hold of low-income tax credit.
The ProPublica piece famous that Turner didn’t introduce any housing-related laws whereas he served as a state consultant.
Confirming adjustments forward
Throughout Turner’s latest affirmation hearings earlier than the USA Senate Banking, Housing & City Affairs Committee on Jan. 16, his positions and specifics on fixing housing points seem like conflicted and considerably unclear, apart from numerous references to state and native involvement in housing points vs. the USA authorities, doing a evaluate of HUD’s insurance policies and applications and seeing how there may be much less regulation.
Turner got here throughout as approachable, likable, relatable and optimistic with an enthusiastic demeanor. He appeared open-minded and understood the problems at hand, having come from humble beginnings. Nevertheless, his solutions to questions had been normal and touched on numerous, “I will come visit here,” or “I will be sure to look into or review that issue, policy, problem, etc.”
Whereas being open to understanding the challenges that lie forward is nice, Turner must hit the bottom operating with particular options. Time is brief and concrete methods to deal with housing challenges appear skinny.
Aside from requiring HUD workers to return to the workplace as a part of President Trump’s back-to-office mandate for federal staff and promising to take stock of all HUD applications and insurance policies, there was little or no in the best way of actionable concepts proposed by him in comparison with many concepts shared by the senators on the committee.
Beneath is a abstract of his responses on a wide range of hot-button housing points. The complete listening to may be seen on C-SPAN.
Company landlords
Turner seemed to be much less knowledgeable than Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who was asking him for particular particulars about how you can take care of company landlords and the variety of properties they personal because it lessens alternatives for particular person homeownership. Warren cited that in 2022, 5 massive traders owned practically 300,000 properties and, in Turner’s state of Texas, large traders purchased 28 % of all properties in the marketplace.
Turner’s response was that each one of this accounted for simply 2 % of the housing market. His response was “The more capital we can put in the market, the more we can create housing.” No particulars on the capital, how a lot or the place it might come from.
CDFIs and alternative zones
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), had totally different concepts on how you can generate reasonably priced housing. He appeared extra of an professional on this space than Turner himself. Warner dove into discussing Group Growth Funding Initiatives (CDFIs) that may serve underserved communities and touted the advantages of those together with revamping the chance zone applications with an emphasis on creating reasonably priced housing and enterprise improvement.
Warner additionally touched on placing knowledge facilities in lower-income areas that may generate tax income, which may be put right into a devoted housing belief that can be utilized to accumulate land to construct reasonably priced housing. By doing so, Warner stated this waives numerous prices and laws related to the constructing course of.
He invited Turner to go to a group in Virginia that has executed precisely that, and Turner stated he would look ahead to the go to. Turner gave normal solutions however no particular concepts in response to all that Warner shared.
Homelessness
Turner proposes partaking with native communities and faith-based establishments which have had actual outcomes with regard to homelessness and dealing with them.
Housing provide
When requested in regards to the availability of housing, Turner stated HUD has failed at its personal primary mission and that we’d like extra housing choices from residences, properties, condos, townhomes and manufactured housing. He additionally stated he would evaluate manufactured housing codes and make it much less cumbersome however didn’t go into particulars.
He believes a part of the issue with housing provide is that HUD has not made it a precedence to convey workers again to the workplace to serve the American folks to deal with these points.
Housing prices
Senators Warren and Tina Smith (D-MN) requested Turner how the prices of housing could possibly be lowered. He advised Warren, “We have to get our fiscal house in order.” In response to a direct query from Smith, he responded that he encourages localities to evaluate their zoning legal guidelines, however that the federal government mustn’t mandate them to be eased n order to make it simpler to construct.
On the similar time, Senator Katie Britt (R-NC) said throughout her time addressing Turner that she is aware of he’s dedicated to easing regulation, however no specifics had been talked about by both of them as to how that could possibly be executed or inspired.
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) raised considerations about inserting tariffs on lumber and gypsum and whether or not it might increase the price of housing. Turner deferred on the tariff situation to President Trump however stated he was dedicated to taking a look at every little thing that impacts the price of housing.
Low-income communities
He stated he commits to getting out to varied cities in addition to Indian reservations to see about how he might present housing alternatives.
Part 8 housing
Turner stated he would evaluate this housing program, so it doesn’t penalize you for getting married and your earnings rising in consequence. When Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) requested him if he would assist job necessities being tied to authorities housing applications like Part 8, he stated that he did.
Veteran housing points and homelessness
Turner stated he commits to serving to homeless veterans in addition to all homeless. He wish to contain the non-public sector to work with localities the place veteran populations are to debate how they might scale back regulation to assist enhance housing for veterans and stated he was dedicated to patriots having a roof over their heads.
DEI
Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced up the difficulty of DEI being associated to federal grant recipients underneath the Biden Administration and whether or not that was one thing that needs to be continued. Turner didn’t consider that grant recipients needs to be associated to DEI.
Crime charges
Banks additionally introduced up that underneath the Obama Administration, actual property brokers couldn’t focus on crime charges with consumers and renters if requested. Banks thought that was ridiculous and requested Turner his ideas. He concurred and thanked the Senator for bringing it to his consideration, stated he can be dedicated to studying extra, and stated if he had been shopping for or renting, he would need to learn about crime charges. He said that it’s essential be absolutely clear with renters and consumers.
Local weather requirements
Banks mentioned excessive local weather customary necessities with respect to reasonably priced housing underneath the Biden administration and cited elevated prices in consequence. He requested Turner if that was one thing he would assist to which Turner replied something that’s burdensome to reasonably priced housing needs to be checked out.
Unlawful immigration
Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) introduced up unlawful immigration and its affect on housing prices because it pertains to homelessness and having to supply housing for these folks in addition to the affect on general price and lack of affordability of housing. Turner agreed that unlawful immigration has contributed to an general local weather of further prices on this regard and would take a look at what could possibly be executed.
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) requested Turner about evicting mixed-status households from federal housing. Turner stated he would wish to place Americans first, even when that required making some exhausting selections.
Insurance coverage
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced up the difficulty of insurance coverage and the challenges that lie forward with respect to that, and that it might be that there must be authorities intervention with insurance coverage — as a lot as he doesn’t need to see that, it might be a necessity. It was extra some extent being made to Turner and he didn’t add any data there. Blunt Rochester additionally introduced up insurance coverage, to which Turner stated he would examine the difficulty and acknowledged that it was an issue.
Public housing
Moreno implored Turner to come back go to the general public housing initiatives in Cleveland and stated that circumstances had been so deplorable that we’d be sanctioned by the United Nations for permitting unlawful immigrants to dwell on this housing, not to mention Americans. Moreno additionally stated that there are folks profiting off housing that’s in substandard situation, in order that can also be one thing that should be examined.
Rural communities
Turner was dedicated to seeing how reasonably priced housing and applications to deal with repairs in rural communities could possibly be achieved.
No actual options to long-standing points
The listening to mentioned the problems we hear regularly from our constituents — our shoppers and communities that we as actual property brokers serve each day. There are numerous speaking factors and hot-button points that want consideration, however no actual options apart from to evaluate all HUD applications and insurance policies first.
The primary situation that senators regularly introduced up was how you can make housing extra reasonably priced and stated they’re repeatedly requested by their constituents what may be executed on this regard.
It looks like there are extra questions than solutions at this level. Turner has a monumental job in entrance of him, and it was evident that he must rise up to hurry on all these issues sooner than his appointed time period would seemingly permit.
What’s going to Turner truly have the ability to accomplish and implement? We must wait and see. As facilitators and leaders of the American Dream in our communities, we have to take an energetic function, become involved, and maintain our native, state, and federal governments accountable for doing extra on this house.
Cara Ameer is a bi-coastal agent licensed in California and Florida with Coldwell Banker. You may observe her on Fb or on X, previously referred to as Twitter.
