Scott Turner
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Eric Scott Turner was born in February 1972 in Richardson, Texas. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on a full academic and athletic scholarship. Turner became a professional cornerback in the NFL.
Turner worked as an intern during football’s offseason for a U.S. representative from California. He ran unsuccessfully for a U.S. House seat in 2006, then moved back to Texas. He was elected to a seat in the Texas Legislature in 2012 and won reelection.
During his first term, President Donald Trump appointed Turner director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. After winning election to his second term, President Trump nominated Turner to be Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in November 2024. The Senate confirmed him and he was sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas on February 5, 2025.
Turner is married to Robin, and they have a son. He is a Baptist and an associate pastor at his church.
In the News…
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner rejected the city of Asheville, North Carolina’s original disaster relief proposal due to its prioritization of race and sex for assistance. He cited President Donald Trump’s executive order that ends the discrimination of DEI practices at the federal level.
Secretary Turner said before a tour of the devastation, “HUD looks forward to helping thousands of North Carolinians rebuild after Hurricane Helene by directing funding assistance to impacted businesses, non-profit organizations, and neighborhoods.”
The secretary continued, “However, Asheville’s draft action plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable. After HUD informed Asheville that its plan was unsatisfactory and it would not be approved, the city assured us that it was updating its draft action plan to be compliant.”
The city has since modified the proposal, removing prioritization of minority- and women-owned businesses, and received HUD’s approval of its revisions.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Secretary Turner today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Scott Turner, Secretary
Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh St SW
Washington, DC 20410
