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Four months after securing his confirmation, Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner finally has a deputy.
The Senate confirmed Andrew Hughes on Wednesday in a vote of 51-43, elevating the two-time HUD chief of staff to chief operating officer. In his role, Hughes will guide the department’s day-to-day operations.
Scott Turner | Credit: America First Policy Institute
“Andrew Hughes is a servant leader and is the right person, at the right time, for this assignment to carry out HUD’s mission,” Turner said in a prepared statement. “I had the pleasure of serving alongside him during the first Trump administration and witnessed firsthand his leadership, wisdom, and love for this country.”
“We share a clear vision for HUD’s future, and it is truly a blessing to have him in this role,” he added. “He will serve the American people well.”
Before joining HUD under former Secretary Ben Carson, Hughes had no political experience. The now-deputy worked as a special projects coordinator for the University of Texas System and a part-time Uber driver. At UT, Hughes oversaw the university’s social media and websites, compiled press releases, planned university events, and researched funding opportunities and higher education legislation.
Hughes joined Carson’s 2016 presidential campaign team and transitioned to helping the Trump campaign when Carson dropped out of the presidential race. His work with Carson and Trump paid off, with Carson tapping Hughes to become his department liaison after taking the helm at HUD in 2017. After the end of President Trump’s first term, Hughes followed Carson to the conservative think tank, the American Cornerstone Institute.
Former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Senator Tim Scott and the Mortgage Bankers Association all backed Hughes’s confirmation, with MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit noting that the deputy’s prior experience “gives him a unique perspective on ways to improve HUD’s operations, including its programs to support affordable homeownership and rental housing opportunities.”
Andrew Hughes | Credit: HUD
“MBA congratulates Andrew Hughes on his confirmation to serve as HUD Deputy Secretary,” Broeksmit said in a prepared statement on Wednesday. “We look forward to continuing our important work with him, Secretary Turner, and HUD staff on policies and initiatives that lower single-family and multifamily financing costs and increase homeownership and rental housing opportunities for all Americans.”
Hughes thanked the Senate for confirming him, saying, “Serving at HUD is more than a job — it’s a calling.”
“I’m humbled to help lead an agency that expands opportunity for all communities — rural, tribal, and urban,” he added in a prepared statement. “Together, under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Turner, we’re focused on ensuring more Americans can achieve not just housing, but the stability, self-sufficiency, and upward mobility that define the American Dream.”
Although Hughes fills a crucial spot, the Partnership for Public Service’s political appointee tracker reveals there are still several key roles at HUD that are vacant.
The Senate is awaiting nominations for the commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the president of Ginnie Mae, the HUD senior and general counsel and the HUD assistant secretary for public affairs. Hughes is still listed as HUD’s chief of staff, and it’s unknown whether he’ll take on a dual role or appoint a replacement.
