Congressman Ciscomani Convenes Roundtable with HUD Secretary Turner

Tucson, AZ - Congressman Juan Ciscomani on Friday convened a community roundtable with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner to discuss with local stakeholders housing affordability and federal efforts to drive economic growth and development.

"It was an honor to welcome Secretary Turner to Southern Arizona and bring together local leaders focused on expanding opportunity," said Congressman Ciscomani. "We had a productive discussion on strengthening Opportunity Zones, increasing housing affordability, and expanding access to quality housing across AZ-06."

Participants spoke about the importance of cutting red tape at every level of government and the need to streamline the approval process for housing projects.

Secretary Turner spoke of HUD's mission as a mission to help people.

"The federal government is not the answer. The answer is in the private sector," said Secretary Turner. "We want to open up new paths for people to be successful...We're bringing faith-based entities to the table...Faith-based organizations have been helping people long before the government got involved."

Participants at the roundtable included:

• Secretary Scott Turner, HUD Secretary
• Eric Renaud, President/CEO, Pima Federal Credit Union
• Kelly Gear, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
• Brad Lloyd, Lloyd Construction
• Danielle Bridges, SVP, Vantage West Credit Union
• Humberto Lopez, Founder, HSL
• Lisa Chastain, Gospel Rescue Mission
• Josh Jacobsen, Tucson Crime Free Coalition
• Joe Snell, Chamber of Southern Arizona
• Garry Brav, Principal, Brav Holdings
• Anjela Salyer, Division President, Tucson, Mattamy Homes
• Ben Buehler-Garcia, Arizona Multihousing Association

The discussion took place at the offices of Pima Federal Credit Union, which plays an important role in providing home loans throughout the Tucson area.

"It was an honor to host Secretary Scott Turner and Congressman Juan Ciscomani, alongside local community leaders, for an important conversation on affordable housing in our community," said Eric Renaud, President/CEO, Pima Federal Credit Union. "Pima Federal Credit Union is committed to expanding access to homeownership through innovative home loan programs helping families build stability, achieve their goals, and create generational wealth."

Congressman Ciscomani in the discussion highlighted the unique housing and economic development needs of southeastern Arizona, as well as notable successes like the Gospel Rescue Mission's work at HS Lopez Foundation's Center of Opportunity.

The Congressman also cited significant legislative efforts, like the bipartisan FAST Housing Act, which works with HUD to accelerate housing construction by cutting burdensome regulatory barriers. Specific provisions include incentivizing communities to reduce red tape that slows development and increased housing costs.

"I'm proud of the work happening in Washington and in the 6th Congressional District," Congressman Ciscomani said. "It was important for the secretary to hear directly from our community and listen to their ideas about elevating our priorities at the federal level."

You can read local media coverage of the roundtable HERE.

###