HUD Secretary Fudge to step down this month, retire to Ohio as 'private citizen'

March 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge said Monday that she plans to officially step down from her Cabinet job March 22.

Fudge, the second Black woman to lead the federal department, told USA Today that she plans to return home to Ohio in order to retire.

"Don't look for me to ever be on another ballot or another appointee or anything like that,'' she told them. "I really do look forward to being a private citizen."

Fudge, 71, was confirmed in March 2021 as HUD's secretary and sworn in to her new job by Vice President Kamala Harris during a virtual ceremony required by pandemic restrictions. Her resignation announcement arrives days after President Joe Biden's wide-ranging state of the union speech to both houses of Congress.

In a statement, the White House said over the last three years, Fudge had been "a strong voice for expanding efforts to build generational wealth through homeownership and lowering costs and promoting fairness for America's renters."

The Biden administration noted how under Fudge, "we've proposed the largest investment in affordable housing in U.S. history," adding that the federal government has "taken steps to aggressively combat racial discrimination in housing by ensuring home appraisals are more fair and by strengthening programs to redress the negative impacts of redlining."

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said he advocated for Fudge to lead HUD despite the fact she had wanted to run the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Fudge -- a former Ohio congresswoman and mayor -- was called a "dear friend" by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who thanked Fudge for her years in public service.

Brown said on X that Fudge "fought to lower housing costs for Americans in every corner of our country," adding how she "has been making Ohio proud for decades."

The National Low Income Housing Coalition praised Fudge and her accomplishments in a Monday statement, saying how HUD's outgoing secretary has "consistently and rightfully" stated how "housing is a human right, and her actions at HUD have utilized all administrative levers to make it so."

"Her signature initiatives at HUD have been addressing homelessness, engaging with and supporting tenant leaders, and reducing the racial wealth gap in homeownership," NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel said. "On each initiative, she has left an indelible mark, moving our nation closer to achieving housing justice."

Fudge is set to be replaced by HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, the former CEO of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials who was confirmed to her deputy role June 2021, three months after Fudge.

The White House said Biden plans to nominate a replacement for Fudge but it remains unclear if the president will nominate Todman to permanently replace Fudge at HUD.