Marcia Fudge, the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced her resignation from office, according to an announcement released on Monday by HUD. Her last day will be March 22. Adrianne Todman, the current Deputy Secretary and HUD veteran, was named Acting Secretary.
Fudge said that she felt “mixed emotions” about the move, explaining in a USA Today interview that she looks forward to returning to life as a private citizen and will be pleased to retire after a 50-year career in public service.
She described her career in the HUD statement announcing her resignation.
“As a dedicated public servant for nearly five decades, I have been devoted to improving the quality of life for the people of this nation, focusing on those with the greatest need,” Fudge said in a statement. “Having worked at every level of government, including as a mayor, then as a congressional staffer, a member of Congress, and now as the 18th Secretary of [HUD] I have worked tirelessly to ensure that America lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.”
Fudge described her mission in public service and as HUD secretary as one motivated by serving people equally.
“For the last three years, I have fully embraced HUD’s mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all,” she said. “The people HUD serves are those who are often left out and left behind. These are my people. They serve as my motivation for everything we have been able to accomplish.”
“For that reason, it is with mixed emotions that I announce my resignation effective March 22, 2024.”
Fudge listed a series of actions during her tenure she sees as accomplishments, including “helping two million families” either stay in their homes or avoid foreclosure; adding positive rental history to criteria for creditworthiness; and reducing the mortgage insurance premium.
“I thank President Biden for his confidence and trust in me to lead HUD in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration priorities,” she said. “As I transition to life as a [private] citizen, I will continue to do the work that I have been called to do.”
In a statement released by the White House, President Biden thanked Fudge for her service.
“Under Marcia’s transformational leadership, we have worked hard to lower housing costs and increase supply,” Biden said. “Thanks to Secretary Fudge, we’ve helped first-time homebuyers, and we are working to cut the cost of renting. And there are more housing units under construction right now than at any time in the last 50 years.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Sandra Thompson also lauded Fudge’s tenure as HUD secretary.
“Secretary Marcia Fudge is an outstanding leader who is a strong advocate for affordable, equitable, and sustainable housing opportunities for all Americans,” Thompson said.
In the interview with USA Today, Fudge cited a need for more resources to be invested into HUD projects, including “building more affordable housing and repairing aging public housing developments,” the story said.
She also still hopes to see Congress approve more permanent funding to help communities recover after natural disasters.
“We’re making incremental changes, but we need to make bigger changes and we need to make them faster,” Fudge told USA Today. “We’re doing everything we can with the resources we’ve got.”
Fudge was confirmed as HUD secretary after a 12-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Ohio’s 11th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Cleveland and Akron.
Prior to serving in Congress, Fudge earned a law degree from Cleveland State University Cleveland–Marshall College of Law, and entered politics in 2000 after being elected mayor of Cleveland-area suburb Warrensville Heights, becoming the first female and first African-American mayor of the city.
She served as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who unexpectedly died of a brain aneurysm in 2008 and won election to her seat that November.
This is a developing story.
