President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development declined Thursday to wade into the turbulent political waters of how the incoming administration’s tariffs could affect housing costs.
Scott Turner, the former NFL quarterback who served in Trump’s first administration, deferred to Trump when it came to whether construction costs would increase under his pledge to tax certain foreign imports.
“I think there’s a lot of increase to the cost of housing,” Turner told Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. “I don’t want to get into the tariffs conversation because, obviously, that is not my job. That’s the president’s and your job as Congress.”
“But what I want to do is combat anything that raises the cost of housing,” he added, “be it the cost of construction, be it fees, be it regulatory burdens.”
Trump’s promise for tariffs of 10%, 25%, or more on certain goods has sparked fears they will further fuel an affordability crisis already raging across the country’s housing markets. The import taxes, which companies could pass down to consumers, might extend to raw goods that homebuilders depend on, particularly lumber.
Van Hollen expressed support for “targeted tariffs to protect strategic U.S. industries” but opposed broader industry-wide tariffs. He cited particular concerns with tariffs on gypsum, a mineral used in drywall, plaster, and cement. The United States produces gypsum but also imported $128 million worth in 2022.
“Won’t those tariffs on gypsum and other things also raise the cost of housing and make it less affordable?” Van Hollen asked.
WHICH ITEMS WOULD BE AFFECTED BY TRUMP’S PROPOSED TARIFFS ON CANADA AND MEXICO
Turner said he would discuss the matter with Trump and other related costs associated with homebuilding.
“Affordable housing, if I’m the secretary of HUD, will be my responsibility,” he said. “I do commit to having these and more conversations on how we can bring costs down in our country so that we can build, build, build, affordable housing.”
