Marcia Fudge, Turner’s predecessor from the Biden administration, was confirmed with 66 votes in March 2021. And Trump’s first-term HUD secretary, Ben Carson, was confirmed with 58 votes in March 2017.
All that remains is for Turner to be sworn in by Vice President JD Vance, and he can then assume his role as the head of the department.
No significant debate on Turner’s nomination took place prior to the vote. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) spoke briefly before the vote began in favor of Turner’s nomination, calling him “the right man to help restore opportunity now.”
Shortly after the vote was recorded, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released a statement to congratulate Turner.
“We will continue to advocate for policies and solutions that improve housing supply and affordability and stand ready to work with leadership and staff at HUD, the Federal Housing Administration, and Ginnie Mae as they carry out their important roles in supporting single-family and multifamily housing markets while protecting taxpayers,” Bob Broeksmit, MBA’s president and CEO, said in the statement.
Turner inherits the leadership of HUD during a time of transition. The administration of President Donald Trump has taken aggressive action to reduce the size of the federal government, but the U.S. remains embroiled in a series of housing challenges. These include a persistent dearth of available inventory, high prices and a notable increase in the nation’s homelessness rate.
Turner offered a preview of what he would prioritize as secretary during his Senate confirmation hearing a few weeks ago. He said he would enforce a return-to-office mandate for HUD workers that was formalized by the president in an executive order, and he voiced reservations about the prospect of raising the department’s budget. Instead, he said he would aim to “maximize” the budget already appropriated to HUD by Congress.
Consistently during his first term, Trump routinely submitted budget requests to Congress that sought to cut HUD’s budget while taking aim at certain grant programs. Congress was not as willing to go as far as the White House, however, since HUD funding stayed mostly stable over the course of Trump’s first four years in office.
In the past, Turner has demonstrated a severe level of skepticism about the ability of government programs to stave off poverty and homelessness.
During his confirmation hearing, he demonstrated alignment with the president’s belief about the impact of illegal immigration in driving up housing costs and driving down available inventory.
Democrats showed a willingness to work with Turner to address the nation’s severe housing challenges. In the vote to advance Turner’s nomination to the full Senate, Democrats said they were willing to vote affirmatively but were put off by the lack of an FBI background check, leading the vote to fall along party lines.
But the housing industry has advocated for Turner’s swift confirmation. A letter to Senate banking committee leaders to support Turner’s nomination was co-signed last month by 23 housing trade groups. These entities include the MBA, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the American Land Title Association (ALTA), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) and the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI).
