In Case You Missed It: VIDEO: Capito Questions Acting HUD Secretary on Project Delays, Return to Office Policies

**To watch Senator Capito's questioning, click here or on the image above.**

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD), questioned U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman during a hearing to review the president's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 funding request and budget justification for HUD.

During her questioning, Senator Capito pressed Acting Secretary Todman on the lack of responsiveness from HUD on West Virginia projects that are stalled due to the agency's lack of action and communication.Senator Capito also questioned the acting secretary on the agency's hybrid work policy and if employees in Washington, D.C. are showing up in-person to work.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON WEST VIRGINIA PROJECTS STALLED BY LACK OF RESPONSE FROM HUD:

SEN. CAPITO: "My constituents they have an abundant amount of concerns regarding various issues at HUD. In particular, HUD issued a 202 award in January of 2022 for 20 affordable housing apartments for the elderly population in Moorefield, West Virginia,which is a very rural area…The sponsor was led to believe that the project will qualify for HUD amendment funds to close the funding gap. My office made an inquiry about this in January… did not receive a basic response until a month later. The project sponsor responded to the letter and heard nothing until a week ago. My staff continues to follow up and the funding issue at hand has not been resolved. Another sponsor for a project to redevelop a school in Rupert, West Virginia, had to reach out to our office as a last resort because HUD had stopped responding to them for nearly five months regarding the status of their subsidy layer review, which threatened the viability of their project… We have now spent six-or-so weeks working to set up a call with any high-level representative at HUD but have come up short again. Rather conveniently, your office finally did get back to us with acall yesterday. So, what can we do to work out these issues so that my constituents are not stuck in limbo, waiting for answers from an unresponsive HUD?"

ACTING SEC. TODMAN: "Senator, thank you for that. And I'm happy, senator, to share my cell phone number with you, so we never have a six-week lag again, moving forward, and I apologize if that happened under my watch. Certainly- I think that my team briefed me on this- and I'm hopeful that both of the issues you have discussed have been resolved.If they have not from your viewpoint, please let me know- the two items that you mentioned. But certainly, I think that we will stay in close contact with you and your office for any other issues that you have, but you know we have a we have a talented HUD team across the country. You know, sometimes, people are maybe slow to be responsive, particularly with the two things you mentioned. And I'll you know, have a good conversation with the team about the importance of true customer service."

ON A LACK OF GUIDANCE ON HUD CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING (CDS) PROJECTS:

SEN. CAPITO: "We have CongressionallyDirected Spending issues that have been approved with HUD. Our constituents have reached out for status updates, and other general guidance, but have not received any reply or confirmation ofreceipt from your department. These constituents have even reached out to local HUD officials who have directed them back to the unresponsive project office, and again, ignored by HUD.Many of these projects are at risk of expiring funds, due to the lack of total lack of communication and guidance. My office has continued to receive notices of awarded funding from HUD. Many times, these notices come at inconsistent time with other members.In other words, some members are notified before other members are notified. My staff continues to routinely contact your congressional liaison office. I was offered a call with you for yesterday.Yesterday was obviously a big day, but I would really like to know the status of these projects for FY [20]22-it's been several years ago- FY [20]23 and FY [20]24. So, if you could work with me to provide me with- I'm not- I know you don't have it with you now probably- a list of the congressional directed spending projects, where they stand in the approval process, and the disbursement of funds for the last three years.

ACTING SEC. TODMAN: "I'mhappy to provide you with an update and you're- at- to you- to you and to your team."

ON HUD'S POST-COVID RETURN TO IN-OFFICE WORK POLICY:

SEN. CAPITO: "The COVID National Emergency has been over for almost a year. The chief of staff in the White House has encouraged agencies to bring back people into their work policies. What is HUD's work policy and in-the-office here, in Washington?"

ACTING SEC. TODMAN: "Well 90% of HUDs workforce on hybrid work schedule right now."

SEN. CAPITO: "Well, what's that mean?"

ACTING SEC. TODMAN: "That means that some people-"

SEN. CAPITO: "Right, but is it two days a week?Is it one day a week?"

ACTING SEC. TODMAN: "Right now, it varies across the department. We have some offices that are coming in three days a week, we have some offices that are coming in two days a week, so it's- it's varied across the department.So, leadership across the department have made thoughtful decisions about how frequently folks have to come in, so there is no one standard at the department."

SEN. CAPITO: "So we're findingthis all across every agency. This happens to be something that really bothers me. I don't think the work is getting done. And you know, I just spent the first five minutes talking about the work not getting done. And I think sometimes that has to be with the work environment and possibly- quite possibly the fact that people are not face to face working together as effectively as they can, which they would be I think if they were in a more consistent in-office policy."

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