Dr. Ben Carson Sworn in as HUD Secretary

On March 2, Dr. Ben S. Carson, Sr. was sworn in as the 17th Secretary of HUD. Secretary Carson will now lead a cabinet agency of approximately 8,000 employees who oversee most of the nation’s affordable housing programs and will manage a nearly $50 billion budget. Sheila Greenwood, formerly an assistant secretary at HUD under President George W. Bush and a lobbyist for Prudential Financial Inc., will serve as Dr. Carson’s chief of staff. Other key HUD leadership positions requiring Senate confirmation, including deputy HUD secretary and director of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) have yet to be filled.

Among his first actions in his new role, Secretary Carson plans an ambitious listening tour of select communities and HUD field offices around the country, beginning in his native Detroit.

“I am immensely grateful and deeply humbled to take on such an important role in service to the American people,” said Secretary Carson. “Working directly with patients and their families for many years taught me that there is a deep relationship between health and housing. I learned that it’s difficult for a child to realize their dreams if he or she doesn’t have a proper place to live, and I’ve seen firsthand how poor housing conditions can rob a person of their potential. I am excited to roll up my sleeves and to get to work.”