With America short 7 million affordable homes, the Trump administration is tapping a vast resource: the 20% of U.S. land owned by the Department of the Interior.
Today, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and HUD Secretary Scott Turner unveiled a groundbreaking partnership to transform underused federal lands into residential hotspots, aiming to ease the nation’s housing crunch.
“Our federal lands are an incredible asset on America’s balance sheet, and we’ve been discussing how we can efficiently and effectively Steward these underutilized areas to solve our nation’s affordable housing crisis,” said Burgum.
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The deal, signed Monday morning, links the Department of the Interior and HUD in a mission to pinpoint idle federal tracts ripe for housing, guided by local and state input.
Turner laid out the nuts and bolts: HUD will scout housing needs near federal lands, tailor programs to fit, and fast-track land transfers.
“HUD will work with DOI to assess the housing needs in areas where Federal lands may be available yet underutilized and implement tailored housing programs with guidance from states and localities,” said Turner.
The move dovetails with Trump’s broader push to slash housing costs, a pain point for millions. Burgum, a former North Dakota governor, and Turner, a one-time NFL player turned HUD chief, framed it as a no-brainer fix for a market squeezed by shortages and soaring prices.
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According to Burgum, the partnership will identify underutilized Federal lands suitable for residential development and “streamline the land transfer process.”
It will also promote policies to increase the availability of affordable housing while balancing environmental and land use considerations.
The details are still sketchy—where the first projects will break ground and how many units will rise—but the pact is signed, sealed, and official.
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“You signed that like a pro,” Burgum quipped to Turner, who grinned back after signing the partnership agreement.
With housing a top voter gripe and federal land a sleeping giant, this could be a game-changer—or a lightning rod. Either way, the work’s just begun.
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