Summary of Dr. Ben Carson’s Senate Confirmation Hearing for HUD Secretary

HUD nominee Dr. Ben Carson sat before the Senate Banking Committee 01/12/2017, answering questions regarding the future of HUD programs under the Trump administration.  Carson spoke about his “holistic approach” to housing, and believes HUD programs should be used as a band aid, or a spring board for the American people who utilize the assistance subsidies, not as a permanent solution.

He plans to travel around the country on a listening tour, focusing on what best practices and strategies can be adopted in an effort to help “put the American people in an environment where they can thrive.”  Carson will then put together a “world class housing plan,” spending more time and effort around developing the potential of people.

We were pleased to hear Dr. Carson say housing is a way to save money on healthcare costs, and the Senate Committee made sure to address the connection between housing and healthcare throughout their questions.

He answered questions about the Housing First model, saying he wishes to study the data more before taking a definitive position on it.  He used an example of one success story he is familiar with of an individual who was struggling, and through the Housing First program was able to find employment and eventually purchase his own home.  He wants to study the program as a way to develop strategy around multiplying those success stories throughout the nation.

He does not seem afraid to dismantle programs if he believes a new approach is a better fit, but he also assured the Senate Committee that he believes no programs, not even the Affordable Care Act, should be repealed without something better replacing it immediately.  He claimed he would “never abolish a safety net program without a better alternative plan.”

Carson also addressed the economy, indicating his belief that more housing programs through HUD should be intertwined with the private sector, including the heightened use of Public Private Partnerships.  He believes, “Having the private sector invest their own resources in renovating or refurbishing housing that has been used by HUD to house people can create a win-win situation.”  Carson was adamant the private sector would be interested in developing HUD programs, but would obviously need to be incentivized by the return on investment.  He added, “That is what this country was built on- the cycle of investing with the hope of a return on investment.”

Carson also focused on HUD’s antiquated IT infrastructure, saying he plans to fix it right away.  He wants to allow more flexibility in HUD contracts and have better control over the finances.  Overall, his intentions seem to be primarily focused on putting common sense back into the bureaucratic process by streamlining programs so people are not going without for extended periods of time due to red tape.  He wants to lead a HUD department that (1) attempts to get people out of the cycle of stagnation, (2) trains people with the skills necessary to be independent, and (3) helps to induce tax reform, trade reform, and regulatory reform.

According to Carson, no HUD employee will be safe from removal, and he will work to make the department operate more efficiently.  This comment, paired with the idea to replace the IT infrastructure, leads to assumptions that the HUD department will right-size under Carson.  He wishes to work closely with other departments and the oversight committees to accomplish efficiencies and effectiveness within HUD, and this includes reporting to the committee regarding any future issues and/or conflicts of interest with President-elect Trump’s personal business ventures and real estate holdings.