What Exactly is Ben Carson Up To at HUD?
Dr. Ben Carson’s appointment as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was a surprise to many who questioned his lack of policy making and experience in governing.
"One of the first jobs that I wanna do as secretary, is listen — is listen to people across this country," he said during his first speech to HUD employees back in March 2017. "We're going to go on a listening tour. We're going to see what works and what doesn't work."
After that listening tour, which took him from states like Florida and Texas to Kentucky and Michigan, he’s kept a relatively low profile. That is until the news broke this week about his department's lavish spending on a $5,000 chair and a $31,000 dining set for his office.
The scandal has not only drawn attention to Carson but also to what is or isn’t happening at HUD, which is facing more than $8 billion in budget cuts and has seen little movement in terms of policy reforms.
For a look at Carson's accomplishments so far and the future of HUD under his leadership, The Takeaway turns to Vincent Reina, an assistant professor of city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania and former HUD employee from 2002 to 2004.
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This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich
