HUD ramps up discussions about relocating its headquarters

Citing concerns about renovation needs, associated costs and even “ugliness,” the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is reportedly ramping up its discussions about relocating its headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to a recent report from Bloomberg.

The Robert C. Weaver Federal Building has been home to HUD since the General Services Administration (GSA) completed its construction in 1968, using brutalist architecture. That came only three years after HUD was formed by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson as part of his “Great Society” initiative. The building is named after the original HUD secretary.

But the building has been a source of criticism for years, and critics also say that it is in a general state of disrepair. HUD Secretary Scott Turner recently called it the “ugliest building in D.C.” on a national TV appearance last month.

HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett told Bloomberg that discussions about relocating the agency are ongoing. The department is looking to move somewhere within the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area that encompasses parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

While the outlet cites sources familiar with the discussions who say other areas like Texas, Missouri or Ohio are under consideration, Lovett denied these reports, saying there is “zero truth” to them.

The outlet previously reported that the costs of renovating the aging complex could top $500 million. Deferred maintenance over the next five years alone could reach $94 million.

In late 2017, HousingWire saw firsthand how renovation work at the building is an ongoing process that’s made more methodical by the building’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

“The Weaver Building serves as HUD’s spiritual home because most HUD employees are in field offices across the nation, not regular attendants in the building,” reads part of a profile of then-Secretary Ben Carson.

“Secondly, the physical conditions of the interior are routinely panned by workers on the department’s online message board. There is no love lost by workers when it comes to the design of the Weaver Building, so any of their affection toward HUD comes from the mission itself, not the location of their desks.”

This comes as the department is reportedly entering a second phase of “deferred resignation” that are in place through April 11.

Mass workforce reductions, previously thought to be about 50% of the department’s workforce, could proceed by the middle of this month, Bloomberg reported. Housing advocates have warned of serious disruptions to the U.S. housing system should major cuts land at key agencies like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or Ginnie Mae.