HUD No. 20-026

HUD Public Affairs

(202) 708-0685 FOR RELEASE

Thursday

February 13, 2020

SECRETARY BEN CARSON DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT SCHWARZENEGGER’S HOMELESSNESS SUMMIT

Visit is part of the nationwide "Driving Affordable Housing Across America Bus Tour"



LOS ANGELES - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson today visited Los Angeles, California, as part of his “Driving Affordable Housing Across America Bus Tour.” Secretary Carson gave a keynote address at ‘Unhoused:’ Addressing Homelessness in California Summit. Hosted in partnership with the University of Southern California Schwarzenegger Institute, the summit brought together leading academics, politicians, and policy practitioners to examine homelessness in California and explore short and long-term solutions for housing the state’s most vulnerable populations.

Highlights from Secretary Carson’s speech, as prepared for delivery:

“Housing prices have risen to a level that there are those in the workforce who maintain a job but still cannot afford a place to call home,” Secretary Carson said. “Even in the midst of an economic renaissance, many of our nation’s teachers, nurses, police officers and firefighters struggle – or in some cases simply cannot afford – to live in or around the communities they serve. This is a trend we must bring to an end.”

“Thank you to each of the advocates, academics, private sector leaders and public officials here today for all your hard work in this field,” Secretary Carson said. “I am confident that, with our efforts combined, and our voices together, we can help unhoused Americans forge their own futures, and achieve a life of dignity, upward mobility, and self-sufficiency.”

“Homelessness is a crisis that must be solved at the national, state and local level,” University of Southern California Price Dean Jack H. Knott said. “We are grateful for Secretary Carson’s presence in California as he engages in conversation with people who are seeking to address this complex but critical problem. It is through multifaceted public and private partnerships that we will arrive at a successful solution.”

The “Driving Affordable Housing Across America Bus Tour” is a part of the work Secretary Carson is undertaking as the Chair of the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing established in June 2019. The Council’s eight Federal member agencies are engaging with governments at all levels—State, local, and Tribal—and private-sector and non-profit stakeholders on ways to increase our country’s housing supply so more Americans have access to affordable housing.

Secretary Carson’s “Driving Affordable Housing Across America Bus Tour” will run through June 2020. For more information on Council’s work and tour locations, please visit www.hud.gov/DrivingAffordableHousing or follow along via social media using #DrivingAffordableHousing.