HUD Secretary Shares His Homeless Uncle’s Plight as He Spars With Democrats Over Budget Cuts

Providing "housing first" without other interventions is a failed solution to homelessness, the Trump administration's top housing official said in a hearing in Washington, DC, on Tuesday as he defended significant proposed budget cuts.

In a contentious Capital Hill hearing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner said broad cuts to HUD programs are justified to refocus the agency. HUD has proposed a 13% cut to its own budget, alarming housing advocacy groups.

"The Housing First model is a failed model," Turner said during a heated exchange with Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois). Turner recounted the oft-told plight of his uncle, whom he didn't name, and who later died.

"We found my uncle, homeless, he was a veteran. He was beaten. He had a life-debilitating disease," Turner said. "When we found him, we didn't just house him in a veterans home, we put wraparound services around him. To help treat him. I've seen this work in my own family."

"Housing First" is an approach favored by progressives that prioritizes quickly bringing those experiencing homelessness into shelter first, and without preconditions, before treating them. A number of U.S. cities have led Housing First programs, which aim to reduce strain on other resources, like hospitals and law enforcement.

Turner defends deep proposed cuts to HUD budget

Turner has targeted Housing First funding and other programs in HUD's proposed discretionary budget for fiscal year 2027. That budget includes wide cuts including Housing Choice Vouchers, HUD's fair housing and counseling programs, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.

HUD's budget slashes $393 million from homeless assistance programs. In that budget, it said funding increases to continuum-of-care programs haven't ended homelessness. The budget proposes directing more funding to a more targeted Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. That $4 billion concept would include supportive services for mental health and substance abuse.

HUD's budget request is akin to a wish list of priorities. Congress must ultimately approve the budget. And at the Tuesday hearing of the House Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, members from both sides were skeptical of the cuts.

Chair Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) was hesitant to cut some of the housing programs, and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-South Carolina) called the cuts to housing programs "draconian."

As well, the National Association of Realtors said in an April 30 letter that CDBG and fair housing programs help people attain homeownership.

HUD's actions under Turner have led to sustained criticism from Democrats. That includes staffing cuts of up to 50% of HUD staff. Fifteen states later sued claiming the moves were slowing fair housing funding and attempting to punish those states with programs tied to "gender ideology."

Turner clashed with Quigley and other Democrats over those priorities at Tuesday's hearing.

"Your testimony would be entertaining if it wasn't so dark," Quigley said. "If that's how you look at this, you are wildly distanced from reality."

In a post to X after the hearing, Turner reiterated his views opposing the Housing First approach.

"A bed is a band-aid that only benefits the homeless industrial complex," Turner said. "HUD will treat the root causes of homelessness, not enable it."

The House's final markup of HUD's budget is scheduled for June 4.