By a vote of 58-41, the U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Ben Carson on March 2, 2017 as the next Secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
National Association of Realtors® President William E. Brown laid out the challenges that lie ahead, saying Realtors® look forward to working with Secretary Carson to advance home ownership and real estate investment across the country.  Here’s what Brown had to say following the vote:
Dr. Carson should be proud of his achievement. The task at hand is a big one, and we applaud his commitment to the challenges that lie ahead.
NAR has been the voice of real estate for over a century. In that time we’ve seen changes in markets, in Washington, and in the business of our Realtor® members. But there’s a reason that homeownership is called the ‘American Dream,’ and that hasn’t changed one bit.
Homeownership helps build communities and build wealth for families. And we know that the policies set in Washington can make a real difference for individual Americans as they work to realize the dream of homeownership for themselves.
We’re committed to helping them get there, which means addressing the hurdles buyers, current homeowners and investors face in the marketplace. Housing inventories are tight and mortgage credit is hard to come by, and at the same time far too many buyers are saddled with high rents and student debt that stand in the way of saving for a down payment.
We look forward to working with Secretary Carson to meet these challenges head on.