The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing on Adrianne Todman, the deputy secretary nominee for HUD on Tuesday, May 11. Deputy Secretary-designate Todman’s testimony highlighted her extensive career in housing and community development, her dedication to serving vulnerable populations, and her commitment to HUD’s mission of creating strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and affordable homes. “If confirmed, I will focus on immediate housing needs related to the pandemic and longer-term structural housing challenges to serve America’s diverse communities in a way that is inclusive, equitable, and effective,” said Ms. Todman. When asked by Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) what inequities have the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, Ms. Todman responded “This pandemic has underscored the importance of housing, including affordable housing particularly for people of color and renters.”
Asked by Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) about her plan to preserve, improve, and modernize public housing, and whether she will commit to expanding public housing, Ms. Todman reflected on her tenure as the executive director of the District of Columbia Housing Authority and expressed a commitment to use all the tools HUD has to ensure quality homes in public housing and to explore other opportunities to expand affordable housing. Ms. Todman then agreed with Senator Warnock that “housing is infrastructure.”
Deputy Secretary-designate Todman confirmed her commitment to work with members of Congress on their concerns about HUD programs, the Fair Housing Act and the changes to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, Native American housing, Veteran housing, HUD staffing, senior housing, and rural housing. She said she plans to draw on her extensive background in housing and community development, including her time as a policy aide in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing and the Office of the HUD Secretary, to address these issues.
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel submitted a letter of support for Adrianne Todman’s nomination as U.S. deputy secretary of HUD to Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ranking Member Pat Toomey (R-PA), and the members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, urging her swift confirmation. A confirmation vote is expected soon. If confirmed, Adrianne Todman will be the first Black woman to serve as deputy secretary of HUD.
A recording of the hearing is at the Senate Committee, on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affair’s website: https://bit.ly/3uNffiS
Read Deputy Secretary-designate Todman’s written testimony at: https://bit.ly/3eK1jk9
Read NLIHC’s letter of support for Adrianne Todman’s nomination as deputy secretary of HUD: https://bit.ly/3brGoAk