HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge: Address affordable housing crisis head on
Error message
In order to filter by the "in queue" property, you need to add the Entityqueue: Queue relationship.-
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge addresses county officials July 10 at NACo 2021 Opening General Session. Photo by Denny Henry
County NewsIt is a new day at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge.HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge: Address affordable housing crisis head on
-
County News Article
HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge: Address affordable housing crisis head on
It is a new day at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge.
“This HUD understands what it means to invest in housing,” Fudge told county officials July 10 during NACo’s 2021 Annual Conference. “We know that when we invest in housing, we invest in people. When we invest in people, we make people feel good. When we make people feel good, we inspire them to do good and I believe good things happen to good people.”
Fudge, who started her public service career at the Prosecutor’s Office in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, told county officials “HUD will change the way we do business.”
“We always have to remember that we indeed are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper,” she said. “Goodness demands that every American live with stability and with dignity with a roof over their head.”
Before COVID-19, more than 11 million Americans spent more than 50 percent of their income on rent, she noted. For too many people, Fudge said, a stable home is out of reach.
“I consider every single person who receives HUD support to be in my care, to be my constituents,” she said.
Under her watch, Fudge said HUD will deliver support as quickly as possible and meet urgency with urgency.
The American Rescue Plan delivered more than $22 billion in emergency rental assistance. HUD will also provide $5 billion to assist with emergency vouchers to help those who are homeless or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
“We must ensure that these resources reach the people who need them — so if you are holding up the money, let it go,” she said.
The country must address the affordable housing crisis head on, she said, and President Biden has asked that the HUD budget be increased by $9 billion, equivalent to a 15 percent increase. Biden’s budget also contains an increase of $295 million in community development block grant funding.
Fudge said she plans on making fair housing enforcement a priority for many who still face discrimination when trying to rent homes or secure mortgages.
“We will engage with local leaders like you to determine the unique challenges and opportunities in each of these communities and then we can work together to forge a more inclusive housing policy for this country,” she said.
As secretary, Fudge said she will ensure that HUD follows a simple philosophy: Strive to do good for others, simply because it is the right thing to do and expect nothing in return.
“I call it ‘being good for nothing,’” she said. “I’m calling on every single person in this room to ‘be good for nothing’ and when we are good for nothing, we will do great things.”
It is a new day at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge.2021-07-10County News Article2023-04-11
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge addresses county officials July 10 at NACo 2021 Opening General Session. Photo by Denny Henry
It is a new day at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge.
“This HUD understands what it means to invest in housing,” Fudge told county officials July 10 during NACo’s 2021 Annual Conference. “We know that when we invest in housing, we invest in people. When we invest in people, we make people feel good. When we make people feel good, we inspire them to do good and I believe good things happen to good people.”
Fudge, who started her public service career at the Prosecutor’s Office in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, told county officials “HUD will change the way we do business.”
“We always have to remember that we indeed are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper,” she said. “Goodness demands that every American live with stability and with dignity with a roof over their head.”
Before COVID-19, more than 11 million Americans spent more than 50 percent of their income on rent, she noted. For too many people, Fudge said, a stable home is out of reach.
“I consider every single person who receives HUD support to be in my care, to be my constituents,” she said.
Under her watch, Fudge said HUD will deliver support as quickly as possible and meet urgency with urgency.
The American Rescue Plan delivered more than $22 billion in emergency rental assistance. HUD will also provide $5 billion to assist with emergency vouchers to help those who are homeless or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
“We must ensure that these resources reach the people who need them — so if you are holding up the money, let it go,” she said.
The country must address the affordable housing crisis head on, she said, and President Biden has asked that the HUD budget be increased by $9 billion, equivalent to a 15 percent increase. Biden’s budget also contains an increase of $295 million in community development block grant funding.
Fudge said she plans on making fair housing enforcement a priority for many who still face discrimination when trying to rent homes or secure mortgages.
“We will engage with local leaders like you to determine the unique challenges and opportunities in each of these communities and then we can work together to forge a more inclusive housing policy for this country,” she said.
As secretary, Fudge said she will ensure that HUD follows a simple philosophy: Strive to do good for others, simply because it is the right thing to do and expect nothing in return.
“I call it ‘being good for nothing,’” she said. “I’m calling on every single person in this room to ‘be good for nothing’ and when we are good for nothing, we will do great things.”

-
Webinar
Curbing the Crisis: County Recommendations to Advance Housing Affordability
Jul. 22, 2023 , 9:30 am – 10:45 amLIVE from the NACo Annual Conference: Navigate the complex landscape of county authority and housing affordability. Hear from NACo Housing Task Force members on specific policy recommendations and best practices that can be tailored and implemented in your community. -
County News
Wraparound services needed to remedy homelessness
To alleviate the country’s crisis in housing and homelessness, national and local leaders are urging large urban counties to go beyond merely providing more housing and address broader societal issues, like lack of access to health care, food insecurity and substance use disorder. -
County News
Urban county leaders discuss workforce development
Leaders from NACo’s Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) gathered June 14 in Washington, D.C. to share how their respective counties are bridging the workforce development divide and discuss policy solutions. -
Blog
Pima County leans into innovation to enhance sustainability
This blog post is sponsored by NACo partner American Gas Association. Unlock the potential of wastewater facilities: Transform waste into clean, renewable energy and contribute to your county's sustainability goals. -
Blog
How counties can extend the reach of drug disposal programs with at-home drug deactivation and disposal
This blog post is sponsored by NACo partner Deterra. Empower Your Community: Enhance Drug Disposal Programs with At-Home Deactivation & Disposal Solutions -
Reports & Toolkits
Housing Affordability for America's Counties
Housing is one of the basic needs for healthy, safe and vibrant communities. Some research estimates a housing shortage of more than 3.8 million units across the country. County voices are instrumental in community planning, land use, zoning and enacting policies and other regulations that affect housing.
-
Conference
2023 Large Urban County Caucus Symposium
October 4, 2023 – October 6, 2023The 2023 NACo Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) Symposium will gather county executives, governing board members and other senior elected officials alongside national thought leaders and partners in Orange County, Florida to identify urban challenges and elevate solutions through peer-to-peer information exchanges and national policy discussions.Orange County, Fla.10048:00 am<p>The 2023 NACo Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) Symposium will gather county executives, governing board members and other senior elected officials alongside national thought leaders and partners in Orange County, Florida to identify
-
Basic page
Large Urban County Caucus
America’s urban counties play a prominent role in 160 MILLION RESIDENTS’ LIVES every day. We foster conditions for economic strength, build and maintain transportation systems and critical infrastructure, promote community health and well-being, champion justice and public safety and implement a broad portfolio of federal, state and local programs.pagepagepage<p>America’s urban counties play a prominent role in 160 MILLION RESIDENTS’ LIVES every day.
Contact
Related Resources
-
Blog
NACo submits comments to HUD’s Affirmatively Further Fair Housing proposed rule
On April 24, NACo submitted comments in conjunction with the National Association for County Community and Economic Development on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s proposed rule to implement and “fulfill the promise of” the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing mandate. -
Blog
Explore data on the county role in housing
Housing is one of the basic needs for healthy, safe and vibrant communities. Research, data and conversation illuminate three persistent problems that counties face related to housing: -
County News
Introducing the Housing Solutions Matchmaker: A diagnostic tool that helps county officials
The Housing Solutions Matchmaker provides local governments with a concise, accessible snapshot of housing conditions, focusing on a handful of key metrics, and places the locality in context relative to neighboring communities
-
Reports & Toolkits
Housing Affordability for America's Counties
Housing is one of the basic needs for healthy, safe and vibrant communities. Some research estimates a housing shortage of more than 3.8 million units across the country. County voices are instrumental in community planning, land use, zoning and enacting policies and other regulations that affect housing. -
Press Release
New Task Force of County Leaders Launched to Address Housing Affordability and Stability
NACo today announced the creation of its Housing Task Force, comprised of over 30 county leaders from across the United States. -
Reports & Toolkits
Housing Solutions Matchmaker Tool
The housing policy matchmaker aspires to be a resource for local officials, providing information that assists in understanding the elements of local housing markets, identifying key challenges and providing resources on policies that might help enhance the local housing landscape.