Trump taps interim HUD secretary who held post under Biden

Matthew Ammon will helm the Department of Housing and Urban Development for a second time, ahead of Scott Turner's likely nomination. 

President Trump announced Ammon as interim secretary Monday along other acting cabinet appointments. The longtime HUD staffer was also appointed interim secretary by President Biden in January 2021, holding that seat until Marcia Fudge's confirmation that March.

Fudge stepped down last March, elevating deputy secretary Adrianne Todman to lead the department.

Ammon was previously the director of HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes program. During his brief stint as secretary in 2021, Ammon followed some Biden directives including extending a single-family foreclosure and eviction ban during the pandemic. 

Neither HUD nor Ammon returned an immediate request for comment Tuesday. 

Turner, who appears likely to be confirmed by the majority Republican Senate, is a former NFL player and former Texas state representative who served under Trump's first term. During that time, Turner worked on the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. 

In a Senate committee hearing last week, Turner acknowledged the nation's housing crisis and promised to maximize HUD's existing resources. He voiced support for policies that encourage housing production, like manufactured housing rule changes and incentivizing local governments by tying construction starts to federal aid. 

He did not directly answer whether he would protect HUD's existing budget or staffing, which could come under scrutiny by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency. He also echoed Trump's recent decree for federal workers to return to the office and end remote work. 

Dozens of housing trade groups have backed Turner's nomination. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs hasn't yet scheduled a vote on Turner's confirmation.