During a January 21, 2026, hearing called by the House Financial Services Committee, lawmakers questioned Mr. Scott Turner, the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for several hours about housing quality and affordability.

Members of the committee, under the leadership of Chairman French Hill (R-AR) and Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), raised issues of lagging housing supply, safe living conditions in federally-subsidized housing units, and staffing levels at the agency. The exchanges between lawmakers and the Secretary at times became contentious as the hearing went into recess after several hours and returned after lunch.

While both parties agreed on the significant gap in available housing units across America, they differed in their proposed solutions. Republican members of the committee focused on waste, fraud, and abuse at HUD, as well as efforts to deregulate housing production and investigate immigration-related impacts on housing costs. Several members of the majority highlighted the benefits of manufactured homes and took the opportunity to ask for problems to be addressed in their districts.

Democratic members of the committee raised steep staff reductions at HUD, including the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) and the Reductions in Force (RIFs) that occurred throughout 2025, which the Secretary was not clear on. On changes to fair housing and other housing access protections, including HUD’s disparate impact regulations, the forthcoming “mixed status” rule, and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) requirements, the Secretary specifically stated that fair housing solutions do not build homes; democrats pushed back to raise issues of discrimination in housing, which the Secretary again evaded. Members of the minority also raised energy efficiency standards to save utility costs down the line. In recent years, HUD has spent nearly 20% its rental assistance budget on utility costs.

In response to questions about the direction of the agency under Mr. Turner’s leadership, the Secretary highlighted his goals of streamlining the agency, reducing access to housing assistance for undocumented immigrants, improving housing supply and reducing construction costs, and expanding the Opportunity Zones program.

Many lawmakers also took the opportunity to highlight HUD’s proposal to disrupt renewal funding for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) highlighted that 40% of all Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) residents are older adults; similarly, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) raised awareness for the rising rates of homelessness among older adults, stating, “we have a ‘gray wave’ of homelessness that your agency is ignoring, which are our elders.”

Several lawmakers praised the committee’s bipartisan Housing for the 21^st Century Act, which was advanced by the committee earlier in January. LeadingAge continues to work with lawmakers to improve the bill as a counterpart to the Senate’s Road to Housing Act.

With only a few references to the need for affordable senior housing, the hearing did little to elevate the need for affordable housing solutions for older adults, even though older adult homelessness is the fastest-growing type of homelessness in America. LeadingAge will continue to work with the committee to advance affordable senior housing solutions. A recording of the hearing is available here.