Robert Hunter Kurtz serves as the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Photo: HUD
National | Politics

Trump administration finally lands a leader for Indian housing programs

By Acee Agoyo

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Year three of the Donald Trump presidency is almost over but his administration has finally landed a leader to oversee its Indian housing programs.

Hunter Kurtz was first nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing way back in September 2017. He even got a confirmation hearing a month later and briefly brought up tribal issues.

"I had the opportunity to travel to Indian Country with Secretary [Ben] Carson earlier this year in my current capacity, and appreciate and understand the needs of our tribal partners," Kurtz said of his time with the leader of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"Please know that I will continue to work with our tribal partners -- and I want to stress the 'with our tribal partners' -- to ensure safe, decent, and affordable housing for these communities," Kurtz added.

But the U.S. Senate, which has been in Republican hands since Trump arrived in Washington in January 2017, never confirmed Kurtz to the post. He continued to work in other positions within HUD and even took a six-month detour for a job at the White House, according to his LinkedIn profile.

With the start of the new Congress this January, Trump resubmitted Kurtz's name for the post. This time around, the GOP-controlled Senate took more decisive action and confirmed him on June 20, following Carson's claims that Democrats were obstructing the process even though two Republicans from Louisiana fessed up to blocking the nominee in connection with a matter affecting benefits for flooding victims in their state.

"Public and Indian Housing oversees more than 3,000 public housing authorities across the country to ensure that our residents are living in safe, sanitary, and decent housing," Kurtz said in a statement following his confirmation. "This is truly an incredible job and I am honored to be in a position to help house millions of families each and every day."

Kurtz is now prepared to share some of his vision and his priorities for Indian housing. He's slated to testify before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Wednesday afternoon, in what is his first appearance on Capitol Hill since being confirmed.

"Hunter brings a great deal of experience and expertise to his work at HUD. He is passionate about alleviating poverty in this country, and I know HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing, and the people we serve, will benefit from his leadership," Secretary Carson said of Kurtz.

The hearing focuses on lending opportunities and how they can leader to greater rates of homeownership in Indian Country. In addition to Kurtz, a panel of tribal leaders and federal officials will testify about the issue.

Included is Nathaniel "Nate" Mount, a council member from the Fort Belknap Indian Community, based in Montana. Carson and Kurtz, who was then serving as deputy chief of staff for HUD at the time, made a trip to the state for a meeting of the United Native American Housing Association in August 2017.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana), who serves on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs as well as the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, thanked Kurtz for the visit during the October 2017 confirmation hearing. But he sensed a disconnect, and he asked about it.

"Have you had a chance to take -- you were dealing with large land-based tribes in Montana. Have you had a chance to visit some of the tribes across the country to see what their housing needs are?" Tester wondered.

"I have not, and if confirmed, it is something I want to do," Kurtz promised.

The disconnect has proven pervasive when it comes to Indian housing policy since 2017. The lack of a confirmed leader for the post Kurtz now holds has hindered members of Congress and tribal leaders from finding out the Trump administration's positions on seemingly simple issues, such as the reauthorization of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, or NAHASDA.

The law, which helps tribes tailor programs specific to the needs in their communities, was renewed in 2002 and in 2008 before expiring in September 2013. Although Carson has said he supports NAHASDA, no one from HUD has been able to advocate for its renewal.

The same goes for other Indian housing legislation, such as bills to address high rates of homelessness among tribal citizens who served in the U.S. military. And for a controversial "signing statement" from the White House that questioned whether Indian housing programs were constitutional.

"I'm career staff at HUD so I don't comment on what vehicle is appropriate," Heidi Frechette, who serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs at HUD, told Tester's committee in June 2017. Frechette is of Menominee, Brothertown and Stockbridge-Munsee ancestry.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing takes place at 2:30pm Eastern in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. The full witness list follows:

The Honorable R. Hunter Kurtz
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Washington, DC

The Honorable Max Zuni
Governor
Pueblo of Isleta
Isleta, NM

The Honorable Nathaniel "Nate" Mount
Council Member
Ft. Belknap Indian Community
Harlem, MT

Mr. Darryl LaCounte
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs
U.S.Department of the Interior
Washington, DC

Ms. Patrice H. Kunesh
Director, Center for Indian Country Development
Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN

Note: Thumbnail photo of Hunter Kurtz from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice
Oversight Hearing on “Lending Opportunities: Opening the Door to Homeownership in Indian Country.” (October 16, 2019)

Join the Conversation

Hunter Kurtz at the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Hunter Kurtz has served in a number of positions within the Trump administration since early 2017. He's met with tribes and public housing officials across the country in that time. Here's a sampling of his travels from social media.

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