What are the likely policy goals of a neurosurgeon appointed secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development by a man who can't stop disappointedly tweeting at Alec Baldwin? "There’s not a dearth of qualified Republicans for that job, so if you choose somebody with no background in housing, it says something about your priorities,” says Julia Gordon, executive vice president of the National Community Stabilization Trust, according to an article in NextCity. Various other housing experts, including Barbara Sard and Benjamin Dulchin, voiced concern about the man with no actual federal housing experience, although former HUD official Maurice Jones was cautiously optimistic, saying that "whatever agenda or whatever priority they have, I look forward to learning what that is." The article goes on to note that: 

"a Washington Times op-ed by Ben Carson published in July 2015 indicates that he either does not understand or does not support the AFFH rule [Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule as implemented by the Obama administration which is rooted in the 1968 Fair Housing Act]. The op-ed compared AFFH to school busing post-Brown v. Board of Education, claimed forced integration did more harm than good, and argued that AFFH would end up becoming yet another 'failed socialist experiment.'"

For more on politics affecting architecture and urban planning:

• What Ben Carson's federal inexperience means for HUD
• Frank Gehry on Trump: "I'm very worried about him"
• HUD-winked: Ben Carson takes on housing for Trump and ZHA distances itself from Patrik Schumacher on Archinect Sessions #90, ft. special guest Marc Miller