WASHINGTON—The National Housing Conference offers sincere congratulations to Dr. Ben Carson upon his pending appointment to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Dr. Carson takes office at a time of great challenge for renters and homeowners alike. NHC looks forward to working with HUD to ensure that all in America have equal opportunity to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community.
HUD is a key federal agency with the opportunity to lead federal efforts to make housing more affordable and strengthen communities. It has a number of proven tools for supporting affordable homeownership and asset building, ending homelessness, creating and preserving affordable rental housing and strengthening communities. These tools can only reach as far as resources allow, however, and we know those resources are inadequate. Only one in four households that qualify for housing help actually receive it, so it is clear a much greater federal commitment is needed.
Despite several years of recovery from the foreclosure crisis and Great Recession, America faces substantial housing challenges. First-time homebuyers still face barriers to entering the market. Rents are rising rapidly in places with employment and educational opportunities, putting stress on households whose incomes are not keeping pace. Other communities are being left behind in the recovery, struggling to attract investment and improve housing quality and other opportunities. HUD can meet these challenges head-on with creative solutions.
“Dr. Carson comes to HUD at a time of change that brings with it opportunity,” said Chris Estes, president and CEO of NHC. “At his confirmation hearing, we heard his commitment to improving the lives of all Americans using housing as a platform for addressing health, education and other social issues, and we look forward to helping him fulfill that commitment.”
About NHC: Everyone in America should have equal opportunity to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. The National Housing Conference educates decision makers and the public about housing policies and practices to move housing forward together. NHC convenes and collaborates with our diverse membership and the broader housing and community development sectors to advance our policy, research and communications initiatives to effect positive change at the federal, state and local levels. Founded in 1931, we are a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. NHC’s research team operated as the Center for Housing Policy until the organizations merged in 2013.
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Contact:
Andrea Nesby
202.466.2121 ext. 240
anesby@nhc.org