By Jim Mishler | Thursday, 18 December 2025 04:50 PM EST
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner told Newsmax on Thursday that former President Joe Biden’s policies “strained our housing supply” and made housing a serious issue for many Americans in recent years.
On “American Agenda,” Turner said that “illegal immigration in our country during the Biden administration, with an open-door policy, allowing over 12 million illegal aliens to come into our country, really has strained our housing supply and drove up costs in our country as it pertains to the housing market.”
Turner thanked President Donald Trump for taking steps to reverse that trend.
“But under President Trump and his leadership, and securing our border, 2 million illegal immigrants now have gone back. There has not been any, not one illegal release into our country in the last six months,” he said.
That reversal, Turner added, means dollars saved for Americans.
“Rents have gone down month by month for the last four months. And so it’s not a coincidence that when we secure our borders, when we have strong leadership like President Trump, when we have strong immigration policies, it doesn’t stifle our housing market,” he said.
Turner noted that Trump’s speech to the nation Wednesday night drove home the point, adding that “and so, as he said last night, you know, we inherited a big mess, a fiscal mess in our country.”
Turner said the nation’s economic and housing picture is turning around.
“He and leaders across his administration are fixing the economy, bringing supply up, bringing costs down across every sector. And I believe with the One Big Beautiful Bill [Act], [and] a working family tax cut next year, that American families will really see the blessing of this legislation that was passed.”
Even in a tight housing market, Turner said HUD, working with its loan partners, has helped more than 1 million Americans become first-time homebuyers since Trump took office.
“And as you all know, buying a home is a first step to creating not just equity, but generational wealth for your family,” he said.
“And so, yes, it’s not only in reach, but it is of utmost focus and priority for myself, the president, and others so that all generations, be it millennials, be it Gen Z, and even those who’ve never had a home, can achieve the American dream.”
Along with improvements in the housing market in recent months, inflation figures released Thursday show the rate of inflation slowing. It now stands at 2.7%.
