HUD's Turner to Newsmax: NYC Mayor Putting Race Over Need

HUD Secretary Scott Turner on Monday said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is promoting housing policies that elevate race over need, calling the approach discriminatory and warning that the federal agency will not follow suit.

Turner made the comments on Newsmax TV's "National Report" after reacting to a statement shown during the segment that he said signaled race-based decision-making in housing.

Turner said his Department of Housing and Urban Development's work is focused on eligibility and need, not race.

"Last year, HUD supported over 1,000,001 first-time home buyers through our FHA and Ginnie Mae program," Turner said. "And it was not according to your race, or your color, or your tongue, or your creed."

Turner said the Trump administration's goal is to expand access to homeownership for Americans across demographic lines.

"The president, myself, and leaders in this administration, we want every American citizen to be able to achieve the American dream of homeownership," he said.

Turner criticized the idea of considering race in housing decisions.

Cea Weaver, a longtime tenant activist who was tapped by Mamdani to serve as executive director of the mayor's Office to Protect Tenants, is facing backlash for years-old social media posts, including messages that called for the seizure of private property and linked homeownership to white supremacy.

The posts, which were circulated on social media in recent days by critics of Mamdani, included calls to treat private property as a "collective good" and to "impoverish the white middle class."

A tweet sent in 2017 described homeownership as "a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building public policy.'"

Weaver said in an interview with a local TV station that some of the messages were "regretful" and "not something I would say today."

As leader of the city's tenant protection office, she would play a key role in achieving one of Mamdani's most polarizing campaign pledges: identifying negligent landlords and forcing them to negotiate the sale of their properties to the city if they are unable to pay fines for violations.

"The statement that you just showed the American people right here is … ludicrous," said Turner about Weaver's tweet on white supremacy. "It's irresponsible. It's ignorance, if you will."

He added that he believes the comments indicate an intent to implement discriminatory policies.

"They're already showing their hand that they're going to practice discriminatory policies as it pertains to housing," Turner said.

Turner said HUD's emphasis remains on families and individuals seeking stable housing and an opportunity to buy a home.

"It's not about collectivism," he said. "It's about individuals and families working hard every single day to buy a home, to purchase a home, to support them and their families."

Turner said Weaver's remarks should be closely watched and argued they provide voters with a clearer understanding of Mamdani's priorities.

"So people in New York City in particular, but around the country, can see the type of mayor and administration that he's elected," Turner said.

He repeated his broader criticism in a summary line: "They're putting race over reality, they're putting race over merit and need."

Turner said HUD will continue what he described as a mission-driven focus on housing access and homeownership.

"We're very mission minded to provide affordable, safe, clean housing, and also to help people in America to achieve the American dream of homeownership," he said.

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