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Former NFL player confirmed as US housing secretary

Christal Hayes
BBC News
Getty Images Scott Turner seen in the US Capitol. He is sitting at a microphone and wearing a blue suit with a red spotted tie. He has a slight smile on his face. Getty Images

The US Senate has confirmed Donald Trump's pick to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Scott Turner, a former professional American football player, was confirmed 55-44 on Wednesday to run the agency tasked with addressing homelessness, providing assistance to renters and home owners, and preventing housing discrimination.

The agency and its 10,000 employees manage a budget of more than $70bn (£56bn).

Turner previously played for the Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League. He is the Trump administration's lone black cabinet appointee.

Only two Democrats backed Turner in Wednesday's confirmation vote: Senators Peter Welch of Vermont and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

The role of housing secretary is the same position that Ben Carson served in Trump's first term in the White House. At the time, Carson, too, was the sole black cabinet member.

Turner was executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump's first term.

He also previously served in the Texas legislature.

During his testimony before the Senate's banking, housing and urban affairs committee last month, Turner talked about growing up in Texas and working as a dishwasher at a BBQ restaurant.

He told the panel more housing was needed in the country and more work was necessary to halt the homelessness crisis in the US. He said the agency was "broken" and its workforce needed to come back to the office.

"We have a housing crisis in our country, where American people and families are struggling every day," he told the committee. "HUD is failing at its most basic mission."

The agency has a vast role in housing and development. A large part of its budget goes towards helping lower-income individuals, homelessness and the elderly and disabled community.

It provides rental assistance to more than two million families and oversees 790,000 public housing units in the US.

It also runs a mortgage and loan insurance programme for homeowners, distributes block grants to support and develop low-income housing and help for community development.

In a statement, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment non-profit said it was ready to work with Scott "to achieve our shared vision of thriving communities with affordable homes for all".

It also said it would work with HUD to "ensure that housing and community development agencies nationwide receive their federally appropriated funds without disruption".