U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Angela Alsobrooks, and Tina Smith have raised concerns regarding the impact of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Task Force on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) operations. The senators sent a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner questioning how DOGE's plans might affect HUD’s capacity to assist vulnerable communities.
The task force reportedly intends to cut 50% of its workforce, close half of HUD’s field offices nationwide, and reduce programs that protect against discrimination and address homelessness. There are also reports about terminating the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, which was established by Congress to enhance home efficiency for families, seniors, and people with disabilities. This program has already allocated funds to improve over 30,000 homes across the country.
"HUD engages in critical work supporting communities in expanding their housing supply, providing rental assistance, and preventing homelessness—work that is urgently important for millions of Americans looking to purchase a home to build generational wealth or find an affordable place to rent," stated the senators. They warned that reducing these services could worsen the current housing crisis.
The senators also requested clarity on DOGE’s objectives and definitions of waste. "In addition to personnel cuts, you also announced that HUD and DOGE have identified $260 million in savings on wasteful contracts. If this represents legitimate waste, we are happy to work with you to wipe it out," they wrote. They urged Secretary Turner for transparency about DOGE's findings related to allegedly wasteful spending.
The letter was signed by several other senators including Chuck Schumer, Tammy Duckworth, Richard Durbin, Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Patty Murray, Alex Padilla, Jack Reed, Chris Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock, Ron Wyden, Ruben Gallego, Catherine Cortez Masto, Ben Ray Luján, Gary Peters, Amy Klobuchar, Jeff Merkley, Richard Blumenthal, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). The senators requested detailed information from Secretary Turner by February 26th.