15. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Project 2025 link: DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

Who wrote this chapter : Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., MD, former Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Apparently Dr. Carson was an amazing neurosurgeon. That said, that doesn’t automatically qualify him to pilot a transatlantic jetliner, run a busy 7-11, or lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Different skill sets, people. Here’s a synopsis of Alliance for Housing Justice’s great “10 Reasons We’re Ready to Say Goodbye to Ben Carson.“

  1. Luxury for Me; Austerity for Thee: Table-Gate.
  2. Hollowing out the HUD Budget – he worked on federal budget proposals that would, if enacted, lead to homelessness, illness, and death. He proposed zeroing out public housing repair funds, eliminating Community Development Block Grants, HOME funds, and slashing budgets practically across the board during one of the worst housing crises this nation has ever seen.
  3. Incapable or Unwilling to Learn the Job. He started out knowing nothing about housing and two years later, was schooled by Katie Porter on basic HUD lingo.
  4. Kicking Us When We’re Down; Rent Hikes for the Lowest Income Residents. After the GOP added over a trillion dollars to the national debt through their 2017 tax scam for the 1%, Dr. Carson did his part to make it up on the backs of the poorest citizens, adding harsh work requirements for the heck of it.
  5. Anatomy of a Scam: Opportunity Zones, a “massive developer and investor tax scam” packaged as a boon for People of Color. “Opportunity Zones have supercharged gentrification while stealing trillions of tax dollars.”
  6. Supercharging Discrimination, Part I: Kneecapping Disparate Impact. One of his biggest-worst accomplishments was incapacitating the disparate impact standard of the Fair Housing Act. (Yes, the same “disparate impact” they’re trying to remove from schools.) The Disparate Impact Standard held banks, landlords, and insurers accountable for actions that discriminate against and disproportionately harm People of Color, women, the differently-abled, families with children, and other marginalized communities. Carson froze enforcement actions against local governments and businesses while sidelining officials who have aggressively pursued civil rights cases.
  7. Supercharging Discrimination Part II, Repealing Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). The AFFH rule required cities, counties, states and public housing agencies to draw up detailed fair housing assessments. Carson labeled it “social engineering,” postponed the deadline for communities to comply in 2018, and then scrapped the assessment tool. Trump then cancelled the rule entirely as a “barely coded appeal to suburban “homevoters.” Biden is resurrecting it. 
  8. Trying to Force 100,000 People into the Street with the Mixed-Status Rule. Carson released a proposed rule that would throw an estimated 55,000 children and their families out of their homes if anyone in their household is an immigrant without specific types of documentation.
  9. Attacking the Most Vulnerable and Denying Equal Access. After being caught referring to transgendered women as “big hairy men,” Carson doubled down, releasing a proposed Equal Access rule which would allow shelters receiving HUD dollars to deny LGBTQ+ people access to shelter.
  10. Coronavirus Task Force. Instead of promoting science-backed solutions like universal mask-wearing, physical distancing, and advocating for financial support for people to stay home and stay safe, this doctor lied to the American people about the seriousness of the virus and pushed quack cures from his friends. After he also got COVID, he used his influence to get the rare and expensive treatment Trump got.

Project 2025’s task for HUD is to erase the progress the government has made in fixing its deliberate racial segregation of our country, which is literally written concrete across the nation. Hand-in-hand with this effort is their simultaneous campaign to remove the knowledge of earlier systemic racism through the demonization of college-level courses in Critical Race Theory and censoring history classes for grades K-12.

We like this Stop the Coup synopsis and commentary.

  • Federal housing should not be available for non-citizens (including mixed status families)
  • Congress should enact legislation with eligibility requirements that “protect life” and;
    • Encourages upward mobility (work requirements)
    • Prioritizes two-parent families
    • Focuses on mental health and substance abuse issues rather than attempting to provide permanent solutions to homelessness
  • Privatize wherever possible: The goal for long-term housing reform is to bring the private sector into the mix.
    • For example, HUD’s mandate was originally to construct the nation’s affordable housing stock and promote “standards for decent housing and fair housing enforcement.” This second goal, says Carson, has been “muddled by repeated application of affirmative race-based policies”
  • A voucher system should be considered to expand use of private landlords and allow states and localities to have more say in housing; this would encourage competition in the public housing market
  • Transfer federal obligations to the states and radically cut down federal government
    oversight and obligations
  • Limit eligibility for benefits and limit time they can be used
  • Promulgate religious beliefs and insert them into government policies wherever possible
  • Congress should prioritize support for single-family homes, since home ownership is the “backbone of the American Dream”
  • Replace civil servants in the agency with political appointees who pursue the president’s will (Schedule F)

Our own page-by-page deep dive

  • (Pg. 503, 508) Schedule F the Dept. Fill HUD with a “cadre of political appointees.
    • Trumps’ first term: Author of the chapter – HUD Secretary Ben Carson was an acclaimed neurosurgeon with no expertise in housing policy. Yeah we noticed.
    • Trump hired family employee Lynne Patton, who had zero experience in housing, to oversee one of the largest regions under the Department of Housing & Urban Development. “The administration prioritizes hiring family friends, employees and people who have expressed loyalty to the president, raising real questions about why the president wants her there.”
  • (Pg. 508) Stack the house with cronies and reverse everything. The Secretary should initiate a HUD task force consisting of politically appointed personnel to identify and reverse all actions taken by the Biden Administration to advance progressive ideology.
  • (Pg. 508) Police foreign ownership of real estate.
  • (Pg. 508) Reverse everything. In case you missed it the first time.
  • (Pg. 508) End the Biden Administration’s Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) policies. “[PAVE under Biden] provided steps to improve oversight and accountability on the issue, including the proposal to modernize the governance structure of the appraisal industry and to improve federal enforcement agencies’ coordination and collaboration to better identify and address racial discrimination in-home appraisals. The plan will also build on concrete efforts to empower homebuyers and homeowners on effective steps they can take when they receive a valuation that is lower than expected.”
  • (Pg. 508) Reverse any Biden Administration actions that threaten to undermine the integrity of real estate appraisals. Same as above. The GOP really hates being told off for discriminating against Black homeowners by undervaluing their homes.
  • (Pg. 508) Eliminate climate change preparedness: Since the GOP-company line is that climate change is imaginary, they will not support work on climate change initiatives and spending in the department’s budget request. Meanwhile, the rest of the world continues to acknowledge the long-term health and housing effects of climate-related disasters.
  • (Pg. 509) “We don’t care about fair housing policies”: Because they do not believe in the Critical Race Theory of systemic racism, they will repeal the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) regulation, which was re-instituted under the Biden Administration to “promote fair housing choice, eliminate disparities in housing, and foster inclusive communities.”
  • (Pg. 510) “We don’t like affirmative race-based policies.“
  • (Pg. 510) “Congress should enact legislation that protects life and eliminates provisions in federal housing and welfare benefits policies that discourage work, marriage, and meaningful paths to upward economic mobility.” No abortions in public housing!
  • (Pg. 509) Eliminate the new Housing Supply Fund – this funds grants for Affordable Housing Production and to reduce Affordable Housing Barriers. We’re guessing that this makes it easier for the poor people to live next to rich people, and so why would their donor class want to fund that?
  • (Pg. 166-167 (From DHS), (Pg. 509) Finish off proposal to eliminate noncitizens, including mixed-status families from all federally assisted housing. “Local welfare organizations” will be left holding the bag, sort of like how Reagan closed all the mental health facilities and increased homelessness.
  • (Pg. 509) Restrict program eligibility for this word-salad “when admission would threaten the protection of the life and health of individuals and fail to encourage upward mobility and economic advancement through household self-sufficiency.” What does this mean?
    • Discourage non-married folks from remaining so.
    • Add work-related requirements to housing assistance
    • Impose maximum terms in PBRA and TBRA programs. Both this and the work-related requirements disadvantage the disabled and elderly. (Biden’s budget includes funding to preserve and create housing for extremely low income households)
    • End “Housing First” policies – requiring mental health/abuse issues be solved before permanent housing assigned. (Background: “Housing First is not a new idea. Pioneered in New York City in the 1990s, it was first included in federal recommendations under the George W. Bush administration, received bipartisan support in Congress for years, and contributed to an impressive 25.69% reduction in homelessness nationwide between 2005 and 2018. However, following the Trump administration’s call to reverse Obama-era Housing First policies ahead of the 2020 election, we’ve seen the issue of homelessness become increasingly politicized. In the last two years, the widely used, evidence-based Housing First model has become the primary target for many conservative think tanks. But often the “experts” staffing these groups are journalists and researchers who have never worked a single day in homeless services, never mind a Housing First program. …Moreover, their arguments rely on a dishonest oversimplification of the problem of homelessness.“)
  • (Pg. 509) Restrict Office of Policy Development and Research grants and research the execution of regulatory impact analysis studies. Currently, the “The Office of Policy Development and Research provides the Department of Housing and Urban Development up-to-date information and analysis of housing and community development issues.”
  • (Pg. 510) Need help on analyzing financial consequences for HUD clients on “increasing the mortgage insurance premium (MIP) for all products above 20-year terms and maintain MIP for all products below 20-year terms and all refinances.”
    • We’re assuming this scenario: Because 15-year loans come with higher monthly payments, most people get a 30-year loan when they buy a house. In fact, HUD under Biden created a new 40-year mortgage modification option to assist struggling borrowers who are behind on their mortgage payments. But even the standard 30-year horizon is a long-turnaround for mortgage investors, so we’re guessing that this proposed penalty for over-20-year loans is a mortgage industry push to entice people to use shorter loans. This does not appear to help HUD clients, but it would make the GOP donor class happy.
  • (Pg. 510) Revising loan limit determinations. – Now, “the maximum loan sizes vary by county. Regulators may change the loan limits annually.” Loosening this may get more families into homes they can’t afford.
  • (Pg. 510) Project 2025 states that “Statutorily restricting eligibility for first-time homebuyers and abandoning the affirmative obligation authorities erected for the single-family housing programs across federal agencies and government-sponsored enterprises” The key words here are “affirmative obligation.” Due to our government’s earlier segregation shenanigans, HUD is linked to making amends. “The Fair Housing Act requires HUD and its recipients of federal financial assistance to do more than simply not discriminate; they must take meaningful actions to overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities.”
  • (Pg. 511) “Congress should prioritize any and all legislative support for the single-family home.“and “a conservative Administration should oppose any efforts to weaken single-family zoning.” Because multi-family housing means poor people.
  • (Pg. 511) “HUD rental assistance programs should encourage choice and competition for renters, encourage participation by landlords where appropriate.” Hmmm, no guaranteed competition for the landowners…
  • (Pg. 511) “Freedom of association and self-government at the most local level possible must remain primary considerations in any conservative effort to increase competition in the public housing market.” and American homeowners and citizens know best what is in the interest of their neighborhoods and communities.” Hey, didn’t we just see this in the videos above – where they were talking about racist covenants…
  • (Pg. 511) Can’t live in a voucher! Current mobility vouchers depend on places to go.
  • (Pg. 511) Privatizing HUD housing and properties: “land can be sold by PHAs and put to greater economic use, thereby benefiting entire local economies through greater private investment, productivity and employment opportunities, and increased tax revenue.”
    • No mention of affordable housing, though.
    • No mention of private equity buy up property and gentrifying it beyond reach. “Private equity firms often act like a corporate version of a house flipper: They seek deals on apartment buildings, slash costs or hike rents to boost income, then unload the buildings at a higher price. The influx of private equity comes during a national affordable housing crisis and has dire consequences, tenants and their advocates say. Such firms use economies of scale to more aggressively squeeze profits from their buildings than traditional landlords usually do, tenant advocates say. The firms’ tactics can include sharply increasing rent or fees and neglecting upkeep. Sometimes landlords force out existing tenants and replace them with those who can pay more.”
  • (Pg. 512) Break HUD up into little bite-size pieces, moving many HUD functions to states and localities with any remaining federal functions consolidated to other federal agencies

Lots of words, but what will they do? What they always do!

In the real world illustration, the GOP tried to slash HUD Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs. We can assume that they will decimate HUD if a GOP president takes office in 2024.

Their last funding proposal under Majority Leader McCarthy was like this…

Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans are calling for severe funding cuts to domestic programs, including affordable housing and homelessness programs, in the FY24 appropriations bill and beyond. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a legislative package that would dramatically cut domestic spending as soon as next week.

While details are unclear, reports suggest that the Republican proposal will cap funding in FY24 at FY22 levels, resulting in an estimated $133 billion cut to domestic programs. Analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) notes that cutting funding to FY22 levels could result in a 23% reduction in funding for domestic programs if defense and veteran health programs are exempted. The proposal would also limit future spending increases to 1% annually for 10 years, rescind unspent COVID-19 relief funds, and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.

In a recent analysis, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge stated that, if enacted, such a proposal would “represent the most devastating impacts in HUD’s history” and “make it impossible to stave off mass evictions.” Among other consequences, Secretary Fudge noted that the proposal would:

  • Eliminate Housing Choice Voucher funding for 350,000 families, increasing the likelihood these families will experience housing instability, evictions, and, in the worst cases, homelessness.
  • Eliminate funding for an estimated 87,000 families who rely on the Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program for housing assistance. Moreover, because PBRA helps finance housing maintenance and operations, terminating PBRA contracts would also likely lead owners to convert their affordable housing to market-rate housing, representing “an historically unprecedented loss of existing affordable housing.”
  • Cut funding for HUD’s homeless assistance programs, resulting in an estimated 78,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness receiving vital services from homelessness assistance programs, “likely leading to large increases in the number of people sleeping on the streets.”
  • Exacerbate the affordable housing crisis in Native communities by cutting significant funding from the Native American Housing Block Grants program, which finances the construction, operation, and preservation of affordable housing units on Tribal lands.
  • Increase low-income families’ exposure to lead and other health hazards by slashing funding from HUD’s Lead Hazard Controls and Healthy Homes programs, and reducing funding for HUD’s public housing operating funds.

Resources

(National Low Income Housing Coalition) House Republicans Will Vote on Proposal to Slash HUD Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs