Week in review: Trump seeks to dismantle Dept. of Education; EEOC warns DEI may violate civil rights
2. HUD wants to use ‘underutilized’ federal land for housing programs
On Monday, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced the creation of the Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing initiative, which they say will "unlock federal lands for the benefit of all Americans."
They will work to "assess the housing needs in areas where federal lands may be available yet underutilized and implement tailored housing programs with guidance from states and localities."
In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal published Monday, Turner and Burgum elaborated on their vision for the initiative.
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"America needs more affordable housing, and the federal government can make it happen by making federal land available to build affordable housing stock," they wrote.
"Under this agreement, HUD will pinpoint where housing needs are most pressing and guide the process by working with state and local leaders who know their communities best. Interior will identify locations that can support homes while carefully considering environmental impact and land-use restrictions," the government officials added.
The initiative comes amid a nationwide shortage of approximately 7 million homes. The Department of the Interior oversees over 500 million acres of federal land.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
