Scott Turner, appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player who led the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term.
Turner, 52, is the first Black person selected as a member of the Republican Cabinet.
Here are some things you should know about Turner:
From professional football to politics
Turner grew up in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was a defensive back and spent nine seasons in the NFL starting in 1995, playing for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.
In the offseason, he worked as an intern and then-representative. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. After Turner retired in 2004, he worked full-time for the congressman. In 2006, Turner unsuccessfully ran as a Republican in California’s 50th Congressional District.
Turner joined the Texas House in 2013 as part of a huge group of Tea Party-backed lawmakers. He tried unsuccessfully to become speaker before completing his second term in 2016. He did not seek a third term in office.
Motivational speaker and pastor
Turner also worked for a software company in a position called “chief inspiration officer” and said he served as a professional mentor, pastor and council member for the employees and leadership team. He was also a motivational speaker.
He and his wife, Robin Turner, founded a nonprofit organization that promotes initiatives to improve children’s literacy. His church, Prestonwood Baptist Church, lists him as associate pastor. He is also chair of the Center for Educational Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank founded by former Trump administration staffers to lay the groundwork if he wins a second term.
Chairman of the Council in Trump’s first term
Trump introduced Turner in April 2019 to head the White House’s up-to-date Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Trump praised Turner for “contributing to an unprecedented effort that has transformed our country’s most disadvantaged communities.”
The council’s job was to coordinate with various federal agencies to attract investment into so-called “opportunity zones,” which were economically disadvantaged areas eligible for federal tax incentives.
The role of HUD
HUD is responsible for meeting the nation’s housing needs. She is also responsible for ensuring compliance with fair housing laws and overseeing housing for the poorest Americans. It provides protection through public housing, rental subsidies and voucher programs to more than 4.3 million low-income families.
The agency has a budget of tens of billions of dollars and implements a variety of programs ranging from reducing homelessness to promoting home ownership. It also funds the construction of affordable housing and provides vouchers to assist low-income families pay for housing on the private market.
During the campaign, Trump focused primarily on housing prices, not public housing. He railed against high housing costs and said he could make them more affordable by cracking down on illegal immigration and reducing inflation. He also said he would work to reduce housing regulations and make some federal land available for housing construction.
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