Ben Carson is the new secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. | Getty Senate confirms Ben Carson for HUD

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dr. Ben Carson to become secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, backing him on a largely party-line vote of 58-41.

A handful of Democrats, including Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Mark Warner of Virginia, joined a united Republican bloc in support of the nominee, who will become HUD’s 17th secretary.


Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who voted for Carson in the Senate Banking Committee, switched her vote after taking heat from progressives. Her office did not respond to requests for comment.

Carson will manage a nearly $50 billion budget and some 8,000 employees who oversee most of the nation's affordable housing programs.

The retired neurosurgeon has no experience with housing or mortgage policy but won broad support from lawmakers and industry groups after his confirmation hearing, where he promised to uphold anti-discrimination rules in housing and eliminate the use of lead paint.

“I’ll give Dr. Carson the benefit of the doubt. That’s why I am voting for him,” said Brown, the top-ranked Democrat on the Banking Committee. “He made the commitment under oath to our committee that he would fight discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation.”

Carson will be the only African-American serving in President Donald Trump's Cabinet.

Joining him at HUD will be Sheila Greenwood, who will serve as chief of staff. Greenwood was an assistant secretary at the agency under President George W. Bush. Greenwood, a consultant, is a former lobbyist for Prudential Financial Inc.

Carson will need to move quickly to fill key jobs at the agency, including a deputy secretary and a leadership post of the Federal Housing Administration, which stands behind about a third of all mortgage lending.

Several people are in the mix for those jobs, including former FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery, Debra Still of Pulte Mortgage and Ed Brady, immediate past chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.

Carson's agency also will be pivotal in delivering on Trump’s promises to rebuild “inner cities” and lift middle-class wealth. Despite the housing market's recovery from the foreclosure crisis, it faces substantial challenges. Rents are rising faster than wages, and the number of first-time homebuyers remains low.

“Dr. Carson comes to HUD at a time of change that brings with it opportunity,” said Chris Estes, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference, a coalition of builders, investors and tenant groups. “At his confirmation hearing, we heard his commitment to improving the lives of all Americans using housing as a platform for addressing health, education and other social issues, and we look forward to helping him fulfill that commitment.”