Above, Marcia Fudge
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge announced Monday she is retiring from the top housing post. Her resignation will take effect on Friday, March 22, 2024.
Fudge ends her tenure as the 18th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, after almost exactly three years (she assumed office on March 10, 2021, after Senate confirmation). From her position as HUD secretary, she advocated for affordable housing, with a path to get there by increasing inventory and reforming zoning regulations.
Fudge’s official announcement did not include a reason for her stepping down, but stated she had mixed emotions about the move.
“It has always been my belief that government can and should work for the people,” her statement read. “For the last three years I have fully embraced HUD’s mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. The people HUD serves are those who are often left out and left behind. These are my people. They serve as my motivation for everything we have been able to accomplish.
“For that reason, it is with mixed emotions that I announce my resignation…”
As HUD secretary, Fudge acknowledged the institutional barriers that keep homeownership out of reach—such as ongoing income and racial inequality. She also led programs that support housing as a wealth-building opportunity, such as HUD’s 2022 “Bridging the Wealth Gap” to help low-income families achieve asset stability.
“We have built a nation on free slave labor, free prison labor—a direct outgrowth of slavery—and free military labor, but there has never been a discussion about equity or fundamental fairness or justice,” Fudge said in a March 2022 speech and Q&A at Harvard University.
In an interview with USA Today Monday, Fudge again used her platform to call for lawmakers to partner and end homelessness: “When you live in the richest country in the world, nobody should sleep on a bench or on the street or under a bridge. It’s just a tragedy.’’
Her progressive rhetoric and strategies have earned Fudge praise from many housing activists. In the wake of Fudge’s announcement, a press release from the National Low Income Housing Coalition—credited to president and CEO Diane Yentel—praised Fudge’s work as HUD secretary and the administration’s ongoing efforts.
“Secretary Fudge consistently—and rightfully—says housing is a human right, and her actions at HUD have utilized all administrative levers to make it so. Her signature initiatives at HUD have been addressing homelessness, engaging with and supporting tenant leaders, and reducing the racial wealth gap in homeownership. On each initiative, she has left an indelible mark, moving our nation closer to achieving housing justice.”
Following Fudge’s retirement, Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman will step in as acting HUD secretary until a permanent replacement is named, according to media reports.
Prior to HUD, Fudge served as the congressional representative from Ohio’s 11th District (including the Cleveland Metro area) for 13 years between 2008 and 2021. Per comments in her USA Today interview, her reasons for stepping down are “mostly personal” (such as a desire to spend more time with family). She said she intends to remain a private citizen going forward.
I wonder if the person who leads HUD will ever be a person with actual real; estate experience? Or will it continue to be a political appointment?