WASHINGTON, DC - As DOGE, guided by Elon Musk, continues in search of government misuse of taxpayer money, one agency that appears to have been a source of that misuse is the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Last week, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced a task force within HUD that will aim to “eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse” at the agency, according to Fox News Digital.
DOGE announced last week that $1.9 billion in HUD money had been recovered, noting the funds were misplaced during the Biden administration. While they were initially “earmarked for the administration of financial services,” they “were no longer needed.”
DOGE worked with Turner to release the funds, which are now available for the Treasury Department's use.
Turner announced a new task force that will review how the agency spends taxpayer money. The task force will be led by HUD employees whose mission is “to maximize their budget and efficiency,” and they will report their findings directly to Turner.
DOGE Task Force Update from @SecretaryTurner:
— Department of Housing and Urban Development (@HUDgov) February 14, 2025
“We will be very detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent in serving tribal, rural and urban communities across America.”pic.twitter.com/uFN7cApwQX
“HUD will be detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent to serve rural, tribal, and urban communities. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are no longer in a business-as-usual posture, and the DOGE task force will play a critical role in helping to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse and ultimately better serve the American people,” the secretary said.
The task force was established, Turner said, to comply with President Trump’s executive order to “maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”
He explained that the task force will work to “ensure all programs, processes, and personnel are working together to advance the purpose of the department.”
The Department of Housing and Urban Development oversees national housing policy and urban development. Its programs include affordable housing programs, community development, homeowner support, fair housing, and anti-discrimination enforcement, homelessness services, and affordable housing programs.
Last week, Turner announced that the DOGE Task Force had identified over $260 million in savings.
“We have already identified over $260 million in savings, and we have more to accomplish,” Turner said.
With Musk and DOGE probing the vast government bureaucracy, some agencies are already conducting their own investigations to meet DOGE halfway.
For example, Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin announced last week that he canceled a $50 million environmental justice grant.
“I canceled a $50 million grant to an organization called the Climate Justice Alliance. They say that climate justice runs through a free Palestine. I think that the American taxpayer wouldn’t want $50 million going to this left-wing advocacy group. It’s canceled,” Zeldin said.
The Defense Department, under Secretary Pete Hegseth, has likewise pledged to cooperate with DOGE to cut wasteful spending in that agency.
“We will partner with them. It’s long overdue. The Defense Department’s got a huge budget, but it needs to be responsible,” Hegseth told Fox News Digital.
