ICYMI: HILL HOSTS HUD ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING ACCOUNTABILITY DISCUSSION IN LITTLE ROCK

LITTLE ROCK, AR - Rep. French Hill (AR-02), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, this week hosted a fireside chat with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Ben Hobbs to discuss improving accountability and oversight at public housing agencies, addressing waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensuring residents have access to housing in a decent, safe, and sanitary condition.

The discussion came as the Committee released a new staff report, Failing the Tenant: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Public Housing Agencies, detailing the findings of its investigation into troubled PHAs across the country and HUD's oversight of federal housing programs.

Rep. French Hill said, "Families who rely on public housing deserve safe, clean homes, and taxpayers deserve to know their dollars are being used responsibly. Unfortunately, we have seen in Little Rock what happens when a housing authority suffers from years of mismanagement and weak oversight. Our investigation identified challenges facing PHAs across the country and provides a roadmap for HUD, Congress, and local housing authorities to better serve residents and safeguard taxpayer dollars. I am grateful to Assistant Secretary Hobbs for making the trip to Little Rock to discuss these important issues and to him and his team for their commitment to strengthening these programs and holding housing authorities accountable."

HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Ben Hobbs said, "Public housing authority accountability and addressing waste, fraud, and abuse are key priorities for President Trump, Secretary Turner, and myself. At HUD, we are committed to restoring compliance and operational integrity. Our residents need it, and taxpayers expect it. HUD will continue working with Chairman Hill and Congress to ensure America's public housing authorities are providing quality housing to America's most vulnerable."

About the Report
Throughout the 119th Congress, Committee Majority staff led a comprehensive investigation into PHA failures and how HUD has conducted oversight of certain federal housing programs. The Committee engaged with PHAs across the country and reviewed more than 100,000 pages of documents.

Federal law requires PHAs to ensure that housing is maintained in a decent, safe, and sanitary condition. Yet, the Committee staff report details how PHAs have often failed to meet these requirements given management, operational, and oversight issues.

The report includes recommendations on improvements PHAs can make to enhance housing quality and financial sustainability. The report also highlights legislative and regulatory reforms that could be explored to strengthen HUD's oversight of PHAs while cutting the red tape and misaligned incentives that stand in the way.

The full Committee report is available here.

Chairman Hill's Work on Public Housing Accountability
Chairman Hill has worked to address longstanding problems at Little Rock's Metropolitan Housing Alliance (MHA) and improve accountability at HUD and across federal housing programs, including:

• Pressing HUD in 2023 and 2024 for answers on MHA's financial mismanagement, failed inspections, conflicts of interest, and potential enforcement actions;
• Leading a 2026 investigation into 32 PHAs designated by HUD as "Troubled";
• Holding a March 2026 field hearing in Little Rock on mismanagement and alleged misconduct at MHA;
• Urging the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas to investigate allegations of theft, embezzlement, and fraud raised during that hearing; and
• Advancing reforms through the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to:
  • Improve HUD's Section 8 and Section 9 housing programs;
  • Make HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program, which modernizes public housing units, permanent;
  • Upgrade landlord participation in Section 8 and strengthen oversight of troubled PHAs.