Chapter 15 · pp. 503–516 ·
Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., MD
What this chapter is about
This chapter is about housing help from the government. It says the help traps people in poverty. It wants work rules and time limits added. It also wants people who are not citizens barred from public housing.
The document says “should”Who acts: HUDHow: regulationp. 509 in the PDF
What the document says
“The Office of the Secretary should recommence proposed regulation put forward under the Trump Administration that would prohibit noncitizens, including all mixed-status families, from living in all federally assisted housing.”
A mixed-status family is one in which some members are eligible for assistance and some are not. The chapter says the department's statutory obligations include housing American citizens in need, asks for alignment with immigration-related reforms elsewhere including the public charge framework, and says local welfare organizations rather than the federal government should provide housing welfare for noncitizens.
What the document actually says
“The Office of the Secretary should recommence proposed regulation put forward under the Trump Administration that would prohibit noncitizens, including all mixed-status families, from living in all federally assisted housing.”
That sentence, in plain words
Restart the rule from the last Trump term. It would keep noncitizens out of assisted housing.
What this is about
Some families have members who can get housing help and members who cannot. The book says the whole family should be barred. It wants a rule from before brought back.
The document says “should”Who acts: HUDHow: regulationp. 509 in the PDF
What the document says
“end Housing First”
Housing First provides permanent housing without preconditions such as treatment or sobriety. The chapter asks that it end so that the department prioritizes mental health and substance abuse issues before what it calls jumping to permanent interventions in homelessness.
What the document actually says
“end Housing First”
That sentence, in plain words
End the policy called Housing First.
What this is about
Housing First gives people a home right away. It does not ask them to get treatment first. The book says treatment should come first instead.
The document says “should”Who acts: HUD, CongressHow: regulationp. 509 in the PDF
What the document says
“implement maximum term limits for residents in PBRA and TBRA programs”
The chapter asks the department to restrict eligibility where admission would fail to encourage upward mobility, to reduce what it calls the implicit anti-marriage bias in housing assistance, to strengthen work and work-readiness requirements, and to cap how long residents can stay in project-based and tenant-based rental assistance. It says Congress should also legislate against provisions that discourage work and marriage.
What the document actually says
“implement maximum term limits for residents in PBRA and TBRA programs”
That sentence, in plain words
Set a cap on how long people can stay in these programs.
What this is about
Rental help has no time limit now. The book says there should be one. It also wants people to work to keep the help.
The document says “should”Who acts: HUDHow: internal managementp. 508 in the PDF
What the document says
“HUD political leadership should immediately assign all delegated powers to politically appointed PDAS, DAS, and other office leadership positions”
The chapter asks that current career leadership positions be changed into political and non-career appointments, and that Senior Executive Service transfers be used to install what it calls motivated and aligned leadership. It says implementing its reforms simply requires courageous political leadership across the department's appointed positions.
What the document actually says
“HUD political leadership should immediately assign all delegated powers to politically appointed PDAS, DAS, and other office leadership positions”
That sentence, in plain words
Give all these powers to political staff. Do it at once.
What this is about
Career staff hold many senior jobs here. The book says political staff should hold them. Their powers would move over right away.
The document says “should”Who acts: PresidentHow: executive orderp. 508 in the PDF
What the document says
“The President should issue an executive order making the HUD Secretary a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.”
The chapter frames this as gaining broader oversight to address foreign threats, particularly from China, over foreign ownership of real estate in both rental and ownership markets for single-family and multifamily housing, noting the value of real estate secured across the department's portfolio.
What the document actually says
“The President should issue an executive order making the HUD Secretary a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.”
That sentence, in plain words
Sign an order putting the housing chief on this committee. It reviews foreign buyers.
What this is about
A committee checks when foreign buyers want American assets. The book says the housing chief should join it. The worry is who owns American homes.
The document says “should”Who acts: President, CongressHow: not specifiedp. 511 in the PDF
What the document says
“a conservative Administration should oppose any efforts to weaken single-family zoning”
The chapter says localities rather than the federal government must have the final say in zoning, that legislation should give states and localities maximal flexibility and minimize federal preemption of local land use decisions, and that freedom of association and self-government at the most local level must remain primary considerations.
What the document actually says
“a conservative Administration should oppose any efforts to weaken single-family zoning”
That sentence, in plain words
Push back on any move to weaken single-family zoning rules.
What this is about
Some areas allow only one house per lot. That is single-family zoning. Some want it loosened to build more homes. The book says to resist that.
The document says “should”Who acts: HUDHow: internal managementp. 509 in the PDF
What the document says
“The AS or PDAS for the Office of Policy Development and Research should suspend all external research and evaluation grants”
The proposal sits among the chapter's immediate administrative actions, alongside a task force to identify and reverse prior actions and a review of subregulatory guidance issued outside the Administrative Procedure Act.
What the document actually says
“The AS or PDAS for the Office of Policy Development and Research should suspend all external research and evaluation grants”
That sentence, in plain words
Pause all outside research grants from this office.
What this is about
This office pays outside experts to study housing. The book says those grants should stop.
Recommendations on political control of the department, program eligibility, work requirements and time limits, homelessness policy, mortgage insurance, and zoning.
The chapter's office-by-office staffing arrangements and its detailed treatment of public housing agency finance.
This is one of the shorter chapters in the book and several of its proposals are stated compactly, without the surrounding argument that longer chapters give.
