Trump appoints ex-NFL player Scott Turner as head of housing agency
The former Texas lawmaker is currently employed at a think tank affiliated with Trump.
TroibNews 
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen motivational speaker Scott Turner from the America First Policy Institute to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), placing him in a crucial position within a sector that is increasingly important to Americans.
Turner, a former professional football player and current chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at the Trump-allied think tank, previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. This council is designed to promote opportunity zones, a program initiated by Trump’s 2017 tax reform.
"Under Scott’s leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment!” Trump stated in a Friday announcement regarding the appointment. “Scott will work alongside me to Make America Great Again for EVERY American.”
From 2013 to 2017, Turner was a member of the Texas House of Representatives.
If confirmed, Turner will oversee a department with a $70 billion budget and around 8,000 employees, at a time when housing issues have surged to the forefront of political discourse due to rising costs exacerbated by the pandemic.
As HUD chief, Turner is expected to aim for budget cuts, reverse fair housing policies instituted during the Biden administration, and reform homelessness programs, consistent with the objectives laid out by the Trump campaign.
While his specific views on housing issues are not well-defined, the AFPI agenda emphasizes “addressing the root causes of homelessness” instead of the “housing first” methodology favored by Democrats.
“An America First solution requires addressing the mental health and substance abuse crises contributing to the homelessness crisis, empowering law enforcement to act in defense of their communities and public spaces, and deregulating local housing markets,” the group specifies on its website.
The HUD section of Project 2025, a distinct plan for the new administration developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation, suggests prioritizing housing assistance vouchers for “two-parent households.” It also recommends eliminating the Housing Trust Fund, which provides grants to states for low-income housing, and reducing aid for mixed-status families that include an undocumented immigrant.
Turner spent nine seasons in the NFL with the then-Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers, and the Denver Broncos.
His appointment has raised some eyebrows in the housing sector, leading lobbyists to rush to gather information about him.
However, David Dworkin, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference, which represents a coalition of housing industry stakeholders, welcomed the decision.
Turner “has a well-established commitment to community development and was a vocal advocate for investing in underserved communities in the first Trump administration,” Dworkin remarked. “We look forward to working with him in the years ahead.”
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
Turner, a former professional football player and current chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at the Trump-allied think tank, previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. This council is designed to promote opportunity zones, a program initiated by Trump’s 2017 tax reform.
"Under Scott’s leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment!” Trump stated in a Friday announcement regarding the appointment. “Scott will work alongside me to Make America Great Again for EVERY American.”
From 2013 to 2017, Turner was a member of the Texas House of Representatives.
If confirmed, Turner will oversee a department with a $70 billion budget and around 8,000 employees, at a time when housing issues have surged to the forefront of political discourse due to rising costs exacerbated by the pandemic.
As HUD chief, Turner is expected to aim for budget cuts, reverse fair housing policies instituted during the Biden administration, and reform homelessness programs, consistent with the objectives laid out by the Trump campaign.
While his specific views on housing issues are not well-defined, the AFPI agenda emphasizes “addressing the root causes of homelessness” instead of the “housing first” methodology favored by Democrats.
“An America First solution requires addressing the mental health and substance abuse crises contributing to the homelessness crisis, empowering law enforcement to act in defense of their communities and public spaces, and deregulating local housing markets,” the group specifies on its website.
The HUD section of Project 2025, a distinct plan for the new administration developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation, suggests prioritizing housing assistance vouchers for “two-parent households.” It also recommends eliminating the Housing Trust Fund, which provides grants to states for low-income housing, and reducing aid for mixed-status families that include an undocumented immigrant.
Turner spent nine seasons in the NFL with the then-Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers, and the Denver Broncos.
His appointment has raised some eyebrows in the housing sector, leading lobbyists to rush to gather information about him.
However, David Dworkin, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference, which represents a coalition of housing industry stakeholders, welcomed the decision.
Turner “has a well-established commitment to community development and was a vocal advocate for investing in underserved communities in the first Trump administration,” Dworkin remarked. “We look forward to working with him in the years ahead.”
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
