Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner faces scrutiny from Democratic senators over the agency’s failure to release legally required numbers of homeless people, an omission Catholic Charities USA says undermines efforts to address rising homelessness.
Turner testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development on May 14 about a proposed cut to HUD’s budget for fiscal year 2027 from $84.2 billion to $73.5 billion.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, pressed Turner about the overdue 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report and the Point-in-Time Count, which both provide annual data on people experiencing homelessness and help lawmakers track trends and allocate aid.
Gillibrand acknowledged the “shared goals” of ending aid to programs that do not help people exit homelessness, but challenged Turner on her approach, especially in light of the missing reports.
She said, “If your approach, of not funding all these programs, is better than the way this committee has addressed homelessness for decades, then I want to see the results.” “Where is the homeless data report? It’s over a year late, and this would have given us the data to see if your theory about addressing homelessness actually works.”
Former NFL cornerback Turner pointed to rising homelessness under the Biden administration despite “record funding” and blamed the “unprecedented” government shutdown and the administration being in “constant litigation” for the lack of reporting.
“Mr. Secretary, I think you are confusing. In what way does litigation slow down your reporting?” Gillibrand said.
“I just want to know, did you crunch the numbers? Do we still have 700,000 homeless, or is it a million or 1.5 million?” Gillibrand asked. He said the lack of reports “doesn’t allow this committee to do our job.”
Ranking member Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, also pressed Turner on reducing HUD’s Continuum of Care grants despite mandatory requirements in FY 2026. “Mr. Secretary, you have to take this money out for our bill,” he said. “All the data, all the research shows that economic factors are causing homelessness.”
Federal grants from HUD’s Continuum of Care directly support Catholic Charities’ ability to provide services to the homeless.
Kevin Brennan, vice president of Catholic Charities USA, told EWTN News, “Access to safe, decent housing is a fundamental human right that should be attainable for all of God’s children, and the Catholic Charities network is committed to addressing the rising rates of homelessness and the critical shortage of affordable housing across the country.”
“Catholic Charities USA and its 169 member agencies use the annual Homeless Assessment Report and point-in-time counts as tools to evaluate homelessness levels locally and nationwide to address that urgent need,” he said.
“Importantly, these reports also help state housing finance agencies set goals and priorities in qualified allocation plans (QAPs), including tax credit and set-aside programs,” he said. “Catholic Charities agencies use this data to comment on local QAPs and advocate for better delivery of resources to those most in need,” he said.
change in housing rules
Turner also faced questions during a May 12 hearing in the U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee about a proposed HUD rule change that could cause families to lose federal housing assistance if some family members do not have legal immigration status.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has voiced opposition to the rule change, warning that “these families will have to make a tragic choice – endure family separation so eligible members can continue to qualify for vital subsidized housing programs or stay together and forfeit any housing assistance.”
But Hearing on 12th MayRep. Adriano Espaillat, D-New York, asked Turner how the housing rule might affect mixed-status families.
“Families have to make good decisions within the family. If you’re making a decision that negatively impacts your family, that decision has been made by the family, not the U.S. government,” Turner said.
