Senate Confirms Julian Castro as HUD Secretary

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro was recently confirmed by the Senate as HUD secretary by a vote of 71-27, with 18 Republicans supporting the prominent Latino Democrat. Castro was first elected to the San Antonio city council in 2001 and was elected mayor in 2009. He has served three terms as mayor. And as mayor, Castro made the construction of affordable housing in San Antonio one of his administration’s goals.

During his Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing last month, Castro said that he plans to ensure that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) meets its affordable housing mission in a financially responsible way and that he believes providing more affordable housing opportunities is an urgent need. 

He also indicated he does not believe the current housing finance system is "in the best interest of Americans," saying that "it would be preferable for the taxpayers not to be in the position of first loss."  He added that "the current conservatorship of Fannie and Freddie is not sustainable for the long term."