WASHINGTON, DC– The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) congratulates Marcia Fudge on her confirmation as HUD secretary. Secretary Fudge will lead HUD during a time of extraordinary challenges and hardship for our nation’s lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness. She will spearhead the difficult and urgent work of rebuilding a HUD that is, once again, an agency whose leadership, programs and rhetoric advance its essential mission of creating strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. We look forward to working closely with Secretary Fudge to end homelessness and housing poverty in America.
Millions of households are struggling to keep roofs over their heads, homelessness is rising in some communities, and our nation continues to grapple with the economic and public health fallout from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Historic and ongoing systemic racism results in Black, Latino and other people of color bearing the brunt of these challenges. The consequences of inaction are deadly and costly – for children, families, communities, and our country’s ability to recover from the pandemic.
With these challenges come opportunities for meaningful change. We look forward to working with Secretary Fudge to urge Congress to repair and expand the shredded housing safety net that has put so many renters and people without homes at grave risk during the pandemic, and to advance and achieve President Biden’s vision of housing and racial justice by ensuring housing assistance for all in need. By working towards such goals, Secretary Fudge and HUD can ensure no one in this country will have to endure housing insecurity or homelessness.
Secretary Fudge is well equipped to meet this moment. During the course of her more than 30 years in public service, she has been a champion for the lowest-income people, working to protect and expand access to food and nutrition assistance, healthcare, and the vital safety net programs that keep millions of the lowest-income and most marginalized people from falling into poverty. Her work is distinguished by its focus on racial equity, striving to address the systemic racism in policies and practices that have funneled resources away from communities of color and made it exceedingly more difficult for these communities to thrive.
Secretary Fudge has a demonstrated record as a leader who values expertise and the importance of building collaborative partnerships, a record she clearly intends to continue through her and President Biden’s assembling of an outstanding team of seasoned experts to navigate the critical work ahead. Her decision to surround herself with experts and champions for affordable housing, together with her leadership, vision, and commitment to the lowest-income and most marginalized people, will propel HUD to achieve its critical mission and revitalize the department’s depleted and demoralized workforce.
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