HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced a new task force on Thursday. The goal? "Eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse" within the agency.
DOGE reported a major find—$1.9 billion in HUD funds had been recovered. The money was misplaced during the Biden administration. It had been set aside for financial services but was no longer needed.
Turner worked with DOGE to free up the funds. That money is now available for the U.S. Department of Treasury.
HUD launched its own DOGE Task Force to track spending. HUD employees will lead the effort. Their mission? Maximize efficiency and report findings directly to Turner.
"HUD will be detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent," Turner said. He credited President Trump’s leadership for shaking up the status quo. "The DOGE task force will help identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse."
Turner said the task force follows Trump’s executive order. The focus is on government efficiency and productivity.
HUD’s DOGE Task Force will make sure all programs and personnel work together. Every dollar should serve the department’s purpose.
HUD oversees national housing policy and urban development. It runs programs for affordable housing, homeowner support, fair housing, and homelessness services.
Turner said the task force has already found major savings. "We have already identified over $260 million in savings, and we have more to accomplish," he said.
As DOGE digs into federal agencies, others are following suit. Some departments are launching their own investigations.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced he was canceling a $50 million environmental justice grant. "I canceled a $50 million grant to the Climate Justice Alliance," Zeldin said. "They claim climate justice runs through a free Palestine. The American taxpayer wouldn’t want their money funding a left-wing advocacy group. It’s canceled."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is also on board. He’s working with DOGE to cut wasteful spending at the Pentagon.
"We will partner with them. It’s long overdue," Hegseth said. "The Defense Department has a huge budget, but it needs to be responsible."