Carson to join Trump administration as HUD secretary

Dr. Ben Carson, a top supporter of President-elect Trump throughout the presidential campaign, on Monday was named Trump's nominee to be secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development after extensive talk about whether he would agree to work in the administration.

"I feel that I can make a significant contribution particularly by strengthening communities that are most in need," Carson said in a statement released by Trump's transition team. "We have much work to do in enhancing every aspect of our nation and ensuring that our nation's housing needs are met."

The former presidential candidate is set to take over in January for former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and, in the process, potentially end President Obama's housing diversity rule, which he has opposed. Carson would also be in charge of the federal government's anti-poverty programs, many of which he has criticized.

In an April 2015 op-ed for the Washington Times, Carson took direct issue with the diversity rule, which is an attempt to implement the 1968 Fair Housing Act. The 1968 law prohibited the discrimination against people involved in the sale or renting of housing based on nationality, sex, race or religion.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2608856