President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former NFL player Scott Turner to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Turner was a Texas House representative from 2013 to 2017.
"Scott is an NFL Veteran, who, during my First Term, served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country's most distressed communities," Trump said in his announcement.
"Under Scott's leadership, Opportunity Zones received over $50 Billion Dollars in Private Investment!" Trump added. "Scott will work alongside me to Make America Great Again for EVERY American."
If confirmed, Turner would oversee a department managing a $70 billion budget and approximately 8,000 employees during a period when housing has become a prominent political issue due to post-pandemic cost increases. As HUD secretary, he is expected to prioritize reducing the department's budget, rolling back Biden-era fair housing policies, and reforming homelessness programs—key objectives outlined by the Trump campaign.
Who is Scott Turner?
Turner currently chairs the Center for Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank aligned with ex-President Trump.
"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 states on its website.
Turner previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump's first term, a role focused on supporting "distressed communities across America," according to the council's website. He is also the founder and CEO of the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council (CEOC), an organization dedicated to uplifting communities through sports, mentorship, and economic initiatives.
Turner spent nine seasons in the NFL, playing for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos.
