LEGISLATION
Is There a Doctor in the House? The outlook for federal housing under the Trump administration. by Jeffrey N. Levin
A
s the Trump administration embraces rapid change across many spheres
of government, it is the approach to Section 8 housing that has the potential to bring
opportunities for builders and the private finance industry. In this regard, it is par-
ticularly notable that President Trump Dr.
Ben Carson, who grew up in the inner city,
to head up the Department of Housing and
Urban Development. Carson, a surgeon who
comes to the position with no government or policy experience, has pledged to bring new
thinking and strategy to the department that oversees federal housing subsidies.
Last month Carson told The Washington
Post, “Having me as a federal bureaucrat
would be like a fish out of water, quite frankly.” Yet this fish out of water does have strong views when it comes to housing. Carson has
been a vocal critic of HUD’s Fair Housing rule, which requires local communities to assess
patterns of income and racial discrimination.
He criticized this rule as being like a “mandated social-engineering scheme.” Carson went on to say, “This is just an example of what
happens when we allow the government to
infiltrate every part of our lives. This is what you see in communist countries.” 42 PRIVATE LENDER