Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge will step down later this month, the White House said Monday.
President Biden credited Ms. Fudge with fixing a “broken housing system” during her three-year tenure.
“Under Marcia’s transformational leadership, we have worked hard to lower housing costs and increase supply,” he said. “We’ve proposed the largest investment in affordable housing in U.S. history. We’ve taken steps to aggressively combat racial discrimination in housing by ensuring home appraisals are more fair and by strengthening programs to redress the negative impacts of redlining.”
Ms. Fudge, 71, who spent over a decade in Congress, told USA Today that her last day will be on March 22.
“It’s time to go home,’’ she said. “I do believe strongly that I have done just about everything I could do at HUD for this administration as we go into this crazy, silly season of an election.”
Ms. Fudge told the newspaper that she wanted to spend more time with loved ones back home in Ohio, including her mother, Marian Garth Saffold, who will turn 93 in April.
It is not uncommon for Cabinet officials to step down after multiple years of service. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh left halfway through Mr. Biden’s term to lead the NHL players’ union.
Ms. Fudge departs as Mr. Biden gears up for a tough reelection battle with Mr. Trump.
“It is not a red or blue issue,’’ Ms. Fudge said of affordable housing. “Everybody knows that it is an issue so it’s not a one-sided issue. It’s an American issue.’’
Earlier Monday, Mr. Biden told a conference of mayors and city leaders that he expects housing to become more affordable as inflation eases gradually.
“I know the cost of housing is critical to families nationwide. [If] inflation keeps coming down, mortgage rates are going to continue to come down as well,” Mr. Biden said.
Mr. Biden said is proposing a $400-per-month tax credit for families seeking their first home or looking to “trade up” for a little more space. He is also pushing cities to convert empty office space and hotels into housing.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton said Mr. Biden plans to nominate a replacement for Ms. Fudge, but she did not name any potential candidates.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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