HUD SECRETARY BEN CARSON HOSTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING ROUNDTABLE IN WISCONSIN OPPORTUNITY ZONE

GREEN BAY, WI - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson today hosted a roundtable in an Opportunity Zone alongside U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (WI-08) to discuss innovative solutions to increasing the supply of affordable housing and the role of public-private partnerships in addressing affordable housing challenges. Secretary Carson and Rep. Gallagher also toured an affordable housing development in the Opportunity Zone.

“Housing prices have risen to the level that there are many in the workforce who maintain a job, but still cannot afford a place to call home,” said HUD Secretary, Ben Carson. “Today, it was a pleasure to see a new development in an Opportunity Zone that offers much needed affordable housing to the community. Developments like this are proof President Trump’s deregulation policies and Opportunity Zone incentives are working.”

“Ensuring our community has access to affordable housing has never been more important,” said Rep. Gallagher. “I thank Secretary Carson for coming to Northeast Wisconsin to highlight the important work of nonprofits like the Brown County United Way, Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity, and Neighborworks. I was proud to support their work during the pandemic and will continue to do so in Congress.”

Background:

On June 25, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Council on Eliminating Barriers to Affordable Housing, and named Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson as its chairperson. The Council consists of members across eight Federal agencies and engage with state, local, and tribal leaders across the country to identify and remove the obstacles that impede the production of affordable homes – namely, the enormous price tag that follow burdensome government regulations.

Research indicates that more than 25% of the cost of a new home is the direct result of federal, state, and local regulations. For this reason, in recent years, the construction of new multifamily and single-family dwellings has not kept pace with the formation of new households. Census Bureau data indicates that from 2010 to 2016, only seven homes were built for every 10 households formed. As a result, Americans have fewer housing opportunities, including the opportunity to achieve sustainable homeownership, which is the number one builder of wealth for most American families.