Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, issued the following statement applauding President-Elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH), to serve as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“In nominating Representative Marcia Fudge as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, President-Elect Joe Biden has selected a seasoned legislator who is ready to address the challenges that lie ahead. The last four years consisted of a Trump Administration intent on doing everything in its power to diminish, rather than promote, fair access to housing; rescind, rather than strengthen, bedrock rules that prevent discrimination in housing; and ignore, rather than address, the housing and homelessness crisis our country faces amid an unprecedented global pandemic. According to recent reports, $70 billion in back rent will be due by the end of the year and 20 million renters could face eviction by January 2021, while 2.8 million homeowners are in forbearance and 3.8 million are estimated to be in some stage of delinquency. It is clear that in order to meet the scale and scope of this crisis, swift action must be taken.

“As we look to undo the harm caused by the Trump Administration’s failure to lead and keep families in their homes during this unrelenting pandemic, I look forward to the prompt confirmation of Representative Marcia Fudge as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I am confident that in this new role, Representative Fudge will make racial equity a priority from day one, work to restore fairness to our housing system, and promote access to safe, accessible, and affordable housing. As Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, I stand ready to work with Representative Fudge, once confirmed, on behalf of the American people.”

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