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HUD Secretary Julian Castro is scheduled to speak at the National Press Club (NPC) luncheon on January 13 to address the state of the housing industry and what HUD's plans are for 2015, the NPC announced on Tuesday.
Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio, became the first Hispanic to deliver a keynote speech at a national political convention when he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. Considered an emerging leader for the Democratic Party, Castro was sworn in as HUD secretary in July 2014 at age 39.
The event will begin at noon and end at 1 p.m. Following his speech, Castro will take questions. Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing [email protected] with CASTRO in the subject line. Questions must be submitted before 10 a.m. on the day of the event to receive consideration.
The event is open only to members of the National Press Club and credentialed press.
Among HUD's goals for 2015 are securing sustainable housing for American individuals and families, preserving rental house assistance for poor Americans, ending homelessness, protecting people from discrimination in housing, and helping neighborhoods become more resilient from natural disasters. The department was given a $45 billion budget to work with for Fiscal Year 2015, according to an announcement last month from HUD.
Two of the initiatives supported by HUD's budget for FY 2015 are the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, designed to revitalize neighborhoods decimated by blight, and the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supporting Housing, aimed at ending homelessness among veterans. Two initiatives that HUD announced must be put on hold due to budget constraints are the effort to end chronic homelessness by 2016 and Homeowners Armed With Knowledge (HAWK), which is a pilot program designed to further incorporate housing counseling for first-time homebuyers who are using FHA-insured financing.
