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91–243 PDF 2015

S. HRG. 113–470

NOMINATIONS OF: JULIAN CASTRO AND LAURA

S. WERTHEIMER

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

NOMINATIONS OF:

JULIAN CASTRO, TO BE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN

DEVELOPMENT

LAURA S. WERTHEIMER, TO BE INSPECTOR GENERAL, FEDERAL HOUSING

FINANCE AGENCY

JUNE 17, 2014

Printed for the use of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

(

Available at: http://www.fdsys.gov/


BANKI-41578DSA with DISTILLER
COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS 

TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota, Chairman

JACK REED, Rhode Island 

CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

JON TESTER, Montana 

MARK R. WARNER, Virginia 

JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon 

KAY HAGAN, North Carolina 

JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia 

ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts 

HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota 

MIKE CRAPO, Idaho 

RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama 

BOB CORKER, Tennessee 

DAVID VITTER, Louisiana 

MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska 

PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania 

MARK KIRK, Illinois 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

TOM COBURN, Oklahoma 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada

CHARLES YI, Staff Director 

GREGG RICHARD, Republican Staff Director

LAURA SWANSON, Deputy Staff Director 

BRIAN FILIPOWICH, Professional Staff Member 

ERIN BARRY FUHER, Professional Staff Member 

BETH COOPER, Professional Staff Member

GREG DEAN, Republican Chief Counsel 

CHAD DAVIS, Republican Professional Staff Member

DAWN RATLIFF, Chief Clerk 

TAYLOR REED, Hearing Clerk 

SHELVIN SIMMONS, IT Director 

JIM CROWELL, Editor

(II)


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(III)

CONTENTS

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014

Page

Opening statement of Chairman Johnson ............................................................. 1

Opening statements, comments, or prepared statements of: 

Senator Crapo ................................................................................................... 2 

WITNESSES 

John Cornyn, a United States Senator from the State of Texas ......................... 3

NOMINEES 

Julian Castro, of Texas, to be Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban 

Development ......................................................................................................... 4

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 22

Biographical sketch of nominee ....................................................................... 24

Responses to written questions of: 

Senator Crapo ............................................................................................ 45 

Senator Hagan ........................................................................................... 49 

Senator Warren ......................................................................................... 50 

Senator Coburn ......................................................................................... 51 

Laura S. Wertheimer, of the District of Columbia, to be Inspector General, 

Federal Housing Finance Agency ....................................................................... 6 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 34 

Biographical sketch of nominee ....................................................................... 35 

Response to written questions of: 

Senator Crapo ............................................................................................ 54 


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BANKI-41578DSA with DISTILLER
(1)

NOMINATIONS OF: 

JULIAN CASTRO, OF TEXAS,

TO BE SECRETARY,

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN 

DEVELOPMENT; 

LAURA S. WERTHEIMER, OF THE DISTRICT OF 

COLUMBIA,

TO BE INSPECTOR GENERAL,

FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met at 10:05 a.m., in room SD–538, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Tim Johnson, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN TIM JOHNSON 

Chairman JOHNSON. I call this hearing to order. 

Today, we consider the nominations of Mayor Julian Castro, to 

be Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Ms. Laura Wertheimer, to be Inspector General of the 

Federal Housing Finance Agency. 

As Mayor of San Antonio, Mayor Castro has been on the front 

lines of helping his community reach its housing and economic development goals. In his tenure as Mayor, he has focused on attracting well-paying jobs and 21st century industries, raising the educational attainment, and revitalizing the city’s urban core. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is a critical partner 

in these efforts nationwide. Mayor Castro will bring both direct experience with and appreciation of the important role that HUD programs play for families, communities, and taxpayers to the role of 

HUD Secretary. 

Ms. Wertheimer is a partner in the Securities Department of 

Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr. To the position of Inspector General, she brings her experience serving on audit committees and evaluating procedures and compliance standards for financial institutions. It is essential that FHFA have an IG providing strong oversight of the FHFA’s work relating to conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The IG also has an important role monitoring the FHFA’s oversight of the Federal Home 

Loan Banks. Ms. Wertheimer will bring extensive experience to the 


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2

position of Inspector General to ensure that FHFA is fulfilling its 

mandates set forth by Congress. 

I now turn to Ranking Member Crapo for his opening statement. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR MIKE CRAPO 

Senator CRAPO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Before us today are two nominees to two very important positions, Mayor Julian Castro to be Secretary of Housing and Urban 

Development and Ms. Laura Wertheimer to be the Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Both positions will 

have strong impact on housing and housing finance in this country 

and I look forward to learning what the nominees will bring to 

each of these issues. 

Mayor Castro, two of the critical issues that this Committee has 

spent extensive time addressing in this Congress are among those 

I want to bring to your attention today, the future of housing finance reform and the fiscal solvency of the Federal Housing Administration. We need to know what your approach will be on both 

of these issues and whether you will be advocating on behalf of 

them. 

Within the debate of housing finance reform, current HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan has worked very actively with this Committee to develop and advocate for S. 1217, which recently passed 

this Committee with a bipartisan majority. We must continue to 

move forward on housing finance reform, especially as we approach 

the sixth anniversary of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac being put 

into conservatorship. 

The Committee has also passed bipartisan legislation to address 

the current capital deficiencies in the FHA’s Insurance Fund. In 

this matter, it would be important to hear from Mayor Castro that 

he is 100 percent committed to getting the capital levels to their 

required levels and as soon as possible. 

Ms. Wertheimer faces a different, but equally challenging task if 

she is confirmed to be the Inspector General of the FHFA. Fannie 

Mae and Freddie Mac represent $5 trillion in taxpayer exposure. 

The FHFA not only oversees those companies, but is also responsible for regulating the Federal Home Loan Banks and the very different business models that they represent. 

Further, due to the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie 

Mac, the Director of FHFA simultaneously acts as regulator, executive, and shareholder of those companies. All of this means that the 

FHFA Inspector General has a very unique oversight responsibility 

as compared to an IG who is not operating under those circumstances. Ms. Wertheimer has the opportunity today to inform 

us as to how she will handle these exceptional challenges. 

I look forward to hearing from each of our nominees on these important issues and more. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you, Senator Crapo. 

There is an 11 o’clock floor vote scheduled, so to allow sufficient 

time for questions, Senator Crapo and I have agreed to limit opening statements to the Chair and the Ranking Member. All Senators 

are welcome to submit an opening statement for the record. 


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Senator Cornyn will now introduce Mayor Castro. Senator 

Cornyn. 

STATEMENT OF JOHN CORNYN, A UNITED STATES SENATOR 

FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS 

Senator CORNYN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Senator Crapo and Members of the Committee. 

I do not often darken the door of the Banking Committee, but it 

is my pleasure to be here with you today to introduce a fellow San 

Antonian and Texan, Mayor Julian Castro. He has told me that he 

is glad to be here and looks forward to your questions, but he especially looks forward to being back in San Antonio to help celebrate 

the victory of the San Antonio Spurs, which that celebration is still 

going on and will for a long time. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator CORNYN. And, I know he will take the opportunity to introduce his wife, Erica, and I understand his brother, Joaquin Castro, a member of the U.S. Congress, is en route, and I hope he will 

have an opportunity to do that. 

But, my comments are that Mayor Castro has taken quite a road 

to get to where he is today, one that is uniquely Texan and, I 

would say, uniquely American. I know you will hear more about his 

biography, which is compelling. But, I will point out that Julian 

and his brother were raised by a single mom in San Antonio’s West 

Side. Both graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. Then, he 

went to Stanford and to Harvard Law School, quite an impressive 

accomplishment. 

When he returned to his hometown at age 26, he became the 

youngest member ever to be elected to serve on the San Antonio 

City Council, and then one of the youngest mayors in the country. 

I know many Texans are reassured by Mayor Castro’s example that 

the American dream is still very much alive. 

I know, if confirmed, he will have a lot of tough things to do. 

Senator Crapo mentioned some of those. As Members of the Committee know, HUD faces a number of challenges. Last year, for the 

first time, the Federal Housing Administration received a $1.7 billion infusion of taxpayer cash to cover a shortfall in its insurance 

fund brought about by many of the loans that it backed that went 

South. HUD also continues to struggle with its performance and 

oversight challenges, as identified by the Inspector General. And, 

as we have seen with the recent scandal at the Veterans Administration, the American people need leaders who will hold folks accountable and restore transparency to Government. 

And, while the issue does not fall squarely within HUD’s jurisdiction, I also look forward to learning more about the Mayor’s views 

on the future role of Freddie and Fannie, which I believe Senator 

Crapo alluded to, because we know that Federal housing policy is 

not sustainable. 

Mr. Chairman, after meeting with Mayor Castro, I am encouraged that he would employ the same energetic vision that has characterized his tenure leading Texas’ second largest city, and I look 

forward to hearing how he would approach some of the specific 

challenges I have identified and those that will be identified by the 

Committee. 


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And, I want to thank you and the Members of the Committee for 

the opportunity to introduce the Mayor and to address you today. 

Thank you. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you, Senator Cornyn. Please feel free 

to excuse yourself at your convenience. 

I will now introduce Ms. Wertheimer. In addition to being a partner in the Securities Department of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, 

Hale and Dorr, Ms. Wertheimer is a member of the firm’s Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group. She has advised 

clients in securities law enforcement investigations, regulatory and 

criminal nonpublic inquiries, and cross-border regulatory proceedings. From 1981 to 1983, she was a law clerk for Chief Judge 

Spottswood Robinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She received her B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. 

We will now swear in the nominees. Please rise and raise your 

right hand. 

Do you swear or affirm that the testimony that you are about to 

give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so 

help you God? 

Mr. CASTRO. I do. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. I do. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Do you agree to appear and testify before 

any duly constituted Committee of the Senate? 

Mr. CASTRO. I do. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. I will. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Please be seated. 

Each of your written statements will be made part of the record. 

Before you begin your statement, I invite each of you to introduce 

your family and friends in attendance. 

Mayor Castro, please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF JULIAN CASTRO, OF TEXAS, TO BE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you very much, Chairman Johnson and 

Ranking Member Crapo and Members of the Committee for welcoming me today. I am very fortunate to be here today with my 

wife, Erica, and I know that my brother, Joaquin, is, I think, on 

his way. You will have to forgive him. He was the second-born 

twin, so sometimes he is late. 

[Laughter.] 

Mr. CASTRO. I am also very fortunate to be here with some of the 

HUD staff that has helped with briefings and so forth, very appreciative of their work. Thank you very much for having me, and I 

look forward to the hearing. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Please proceed, Mayor Castro. 

Mr. CASTRO. OK. Thank you, Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Crapo, and Members of the Committee for welcoming me here 

today. I am deeply honored to appear before you as President 

Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I want to thank President Obama for his confidence in me. 

Allow me also to thank Senator Cornyn. He is a dedicated public 

servant, a distinguished Senator from Texas who also happens to 


BANKI-41578DSA with DISTILLER
5

hail from the great city of San Antonio, and I am incredibly grateful for his support and his generous introduction. 

And, as I mentioned, I want to express my gratitude to my family and friends, and especially to my wife, Erica, and to my brother, 

Joaquin, both of whom join me today. Without their support, I simply would not be here in front of you. 

Finally, I want to commend this Committee, which has a wellearned reputation for working in a bipartisan fashion on behalf of 

the American people. It has been a pleasure to meet with you and 

your staff throughout this process. If confirmed, I look forward to 

our continued engagement to advance issues critical to our Nation’s 

future. 

Mr. Chairman, I appear before you today with more than just 

professional experience in dealing with housing and urban development. I also bring my own personal experience. I grew up on the 

West Side of San Antonio in a neighborhood of hard-working families of very modest means. My father at two different times in his 

life lived in public housing. My mother worked for the San Antonio 

Housing Authority. And, I have seen with my own eyes how talented and driven Americans who just want a fair shot are weighed 

down by the conditions in which they live, and this simply is not 

right. All Americans deserve the same opportunities that I had, 

and I have dedicated my career to giving back to the country that 

has given so much to me. 

As Mayor, I made it my mission to help create a vibrant, economically prosperous urban core that expands housing opportunities for all San Antonians. In 2010, we launched the Decade of 

Downtown, an initiative to spark investment in our center city and 

older neighborhoods. This effort has attracted $350 million in private sector investment, which will produce more than 2,400 housing units by the end of 2014. 

Looking ahead, during my recent visits with Committee Members, many of you asked about my priorities, if I am confirmed. 

Allow me to share two of them with you. 

First, I am a strong believer in cross-agency collaboration. San 

Antonio’s East Side is the only neighborhood in America to receive 

a Promise Neighborhoods Grant, a Choice Neighborhoods Grant, a 

Byrne Criminal Justice Program Grant, and a Promise Zone designation. We accomplished this by getting beyond the silos and 

working across agencies to improve housing, educational achievement, and overall quality of life. This is the kind of collaborative 

approach I would like to enhance at HUD. 

Second, as a local elected official, I am also keenly aware of the 

value of measuring results. In San Antonio, we initiated a process 

of unprecedented public engagement and accountability called SA 

2020. Through a series of community meetings, residents spoke 

clearly about what kind of city they want it to be in 2020. But, we 

did not just set a vision. We set precise numeric goals for achieving 

our vision. We promised the community that we would come back 

every year and report back on how we were doing, good or bad. 

With the help of the State Demographer, we developed a public report card, available for anyone to see on SA2020.org, to give San 

Antonians a real-time snapshot of how we are doing. 


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Similarly, I would like HUD to focus on outcomes, not only inputs. We should not just track projects and dollars spent. We must 

measure those investments by the impact they make. Secretary 

Donovan has built a strong foundation for this, and, if confirmed, 

I will work hard to make this the norm at HUD. 

HUD’s role is one of the most critical in Government because it 

directly impacts American families. From enforcing Fair Housing 

rights to revitalizing distressed areas, from assisting veterans in 

finding permanent housing to helping communities rebuild after a 

natural disaster hits, the Department is making an impact in small 

towns, big cities, rural communities, and Tribal communities across 

the country. 

The 21st century is shaping up to be the Century of Cities, and 

I believe there is a reason for that. In America’s local communities, 

partnerships and pragmatism are the key drivers to success. That 

perspective has guided my efforts. If confirmed, I look forward to 

working with you to strengthen opportunity for Americans through 

HUD’s efforts. 

Once again, thank you, Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member 

Crapo, and Members of the Committee for your consideration to my 

nomination. It is an honor to appear before you and I look forward 

to answering any questions. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you. 

Ms. Wertheimer, please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF LAURA S. WERTHEIMER, OF THE DISTRICT OF 

COLUMBIA, TO BE INSPECTOR GENERAL, FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Crapo, 

Members of the Committee, thank you very much for the opportunity to appear before you today. 

I am honored to be President Obama’s nominee for Inspector 

General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and before I 

begin, I would like to introduce my family who has accompanied 

here today, my husband, Andy Pincus, our daughter, Kate Pincus, 

my steadfast mother, Sidelle Wertheimer, my in-laws, Walter and 

Ann Pincus. And, with that, let me get to the meat of what I would 

like to say in my statement. 

The FHFA plays a crucial role in our financial system as the 

safety and soundness regulator of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and 

the 12 Regional Federal Home Loan Banks to ensure they operate 

in a safe and sound measure [sic] and serve as a reliable source 

of liquidity and funding for housing. And, as Senator Crapo mentioned, since September 2008, almost 6 years now, the agency has 

acted as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to protect 

and conserve the assets and property of those enterprises and protect the taxpayers’ investment, which is currently $187.5 billion. 

Currently, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee more than $5 

trillion in mortgages in this country, three out of every four. 

Congress mandated strong, independent oversight of agency programs and operations by the FHFA OIG to safeguard taxpayer dollars. To carry out this oversight, the OIG conducts and coordinates 

audits and evaluations of agency activities and investigations of the 

agency and its regulated entities. 


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Much of my professional career has focused on leading investigations into alleged wrongdoing and counseling clients on improvements to internal controls and processes to prevent and detect violations of law. I have deep experience running independent investigations for audit committees and committees of independent directors of public companies. These investigations have looked into 

a wide range of areas: financial statement reporting and disclosure 

errors; alleged accounting irregularities; misconduct by corporate 

officers and employees; possible improper payments to foreign government officials; whistleblower claims; and other significant issues 

identified by a host of stakeholders. 

In each of these investigations, we followed the facts wherever 

they led, without fear or favor. We developed remedial measures 

tailored to the facts found. We monitored implementation of that 

remediation. A number of these investigations, led to dismissal or 

resignation of high-level company employees and adoption of significant new policies and internal controls. 

If confirmed as FHFA Inspector General, I will exercise my duties aggressively, independently, and fearlessly. I have a deep appreciation of the critical importance of conducting rigorous, fair, 

and thorough audits, evaluations, and investigations, of communicating the results to stakeholders clearly, and holding individuals 

accountable for their actions. I pledge to be responsive to this Committee and to Congress as a whole, and to develop a good working 

relationship with the FHFA Director. 

After more than 30 years in the private sector, I am honored to 

have this opportunity for public service. My father was a first-generation immigrant who came to this country with his parents in 

1938. They escaped with the clothes on their backs and they spoke 

only German. 

My grandparents had to reinvent themselves in this strange new 

environment. My grandmother found work as a domestic house 

cleaner, and my grandfather was employed to scrub out cocoa barrels on the New York docks. Together, they earned enough to rent 

an apartment in Kew Gardens, a community populated with German and Austrian refugees. My father enrolled in New York City 

Public Schools, learned to speak unaccented English, and graduated as valedictorian of his high school class. America has given 

so much to me and to my family. I am eager to give something 

back to America. 

Thank you and the Committee for your consideration of my nomination. I look forward to answering your questions. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you for your testimony. 

If any Members have written questions for the record for the 

nominees, I ask that you please submit them by noon this Friday, 

June 20. I also ask that the nominees respond to the written questions quickly so that we can move the nominations forward. 

We will now begin asking questions of our witnesses. Will the 

Clerk please put 5 minutes on the clock for each Member. 

Mayor Castro, in your opening statement, you mentioned some 

of your priorities, if confirmed. Would your priorities also include 

working to address the vast housing needs in Indian Country and 

engage in consultation with Tribes? 


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Mr. CASTRO. Thank you very much for the question, Chairman 

Johnson, and I appreciate your very strong advocacy for our Tribal 

communities. Absolutely, I am committed to ensuring that we work 

closely with our Tribal communities. I look forward to, at HUD, 

being focused on that. 

I fully understand—and that in—my experience is as a big city 

mayor. However, that as part of HUD’s mission, we do not just 

serve big cities or urban areas. We also serve rural communities, 

small towns, and our Tribal communities. I look forward, if I am 

confirmed, to working with you and with your staff and other Committee Members as the NAHASDA reauthorization, perhaps, moves 

forward, and on issues related to our Nation’s Tribal communities. 

Chairman JOHNSON. I have been handed a note that Representative Joaquin Castro is here. 

Mayor Castro, a 2012 HUD IG report found that San Antonio 

had not administered a 2008 Neighborhood Stabilization Program 

Grant in accordance with program rules. Can you tell me what 

happened with that grant and how the city addressed this issue 

and what your involvement was as Mayor? 

Mr. CASTRO. Yes. Thank you very much for the question, Chairman Johnson. The HUD IG did issue preliminary findings with respect to the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the city of 

San Antonio. After consulting with city of San Antonio staff, the 

city of San Antonio staff provided back-up documentation to clarify 

those preliminary findings. At the end of the day, about $125,000 

was paid back with non-Federal funds, city of San Antonio funds, 

as soon as the Council and I learned about that issue. We were 

supportive of corrective measures that were put in place. There 

was an NSP checklist, for instance, that was created. Compliance 

was strengthened. Personnel were removed who had had authority 

over that program. And, I look forward, if I am confirmed, to ensuring that we are vigilant with our grantees with the NSP program 

and other programs, as well. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Ms. Wertheimer, we have discussed the 

steps you plan to take, if confirmed, to address potential conflicts 

of interest relating to your past work on behalf of clients as well 

as potential conflicts with respect to your husband’s work. Can you 

please describe these steps to the Committee? 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. Absolutely. Thank you, Senator. When the 

President—when I was advised the President sought to nominate 

me, I appreciated the need to get ahead of potential conflicts of interest, and so I spoke at length with the designated Ethics Officer 

of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and explained my strong 

interest in avoiding either actual or perceived conflicts of interest, 

or even the appearance of a conflict. 

And so to that end, the designated Ethics Officer of the agency, 

in consultation with the Office of Government Ethics and I, agreed 

that I would recuse myself entirely from any matter in which my 

law firm, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr, appears before 

the agency or before the FHFA OIG, so, not just limited to OIG 

matters, and that I would also recuse myself from matters in which 

my husband’s law firm, Mayer, Brown and Platt, appeared before 

the FHFA or the FHFA OIG, so that there was no appearance 

issue with respect to my husband’s law firm. 


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In addition, I agreed to refrain, or to recuse myself entirely from 

any matter in which clients of mine with whom I had worked on 

matters, if they were represented by another law firm, for example, 

if they were to appear before the FHFA or FHFA OIG, even on 

matters unrelated to matters I had advised them on, that I would 

recuse myself for a period of, I believe it is 2 years. 

And, last, there are several items in our portfolio that, because 

of potential appearance of impropriety issues, we agreed to divest 

within 60 days of my nomination—of my appointment, if that is to 

occur. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Crapo. 

Senator CRAPO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mayor Castro, the FHA Insurance Fund has been undercapitalized since 2009. At the end of fiscal year 2013, FHA announced 

that it would need $1.7 billion from Treasury to cover an increase 

in anticipated costs of loan guarantees. This marked the first time 

that the FHA needed funds from Treasury to cover an increase in 

expected future losses in its single-family mortgage program. 

Last year, this Committee moved legislation, the FHA Solvency 

Act, with strong bipartisan support, to get the FHA back on stable 

financial footing. If confirmed, will you commit to help us move this 

piece of legislation and to move the FHA toward solvency? 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you very much for the question, Ranking 

Member Crapo, and I want to commend you and the Committee 

for, as you said, very strong bipartisan work on the FHA Solvency 

Act. I am committed to helping to ensure that, if I am confirmed, 

that the FHA is on a good track and to support legislative efforts 

to that effect. It is my understanding that the independent actuary 

has said, at least for fiscal year 2015, that the FHA is on a stronger track, that it will not need another draw. But, I, if I am confirmed at HUD, I look forward to working with you and to the 

Committee to support legislative efforts, as well. 

Senator CRAPO. Thank you very much, and that is good news to 

hear. 

Will you assure us that the FHA will not do anything to reduce 

its incoming capital before it has met its statutory obligations? 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you for the question. Of course, I am hesitant to commit to things specifically, not having been at HUD and 

seen all of the details. However, I will say that I share with you 

a commitment to ensuring that the FHA has a positive capital reserve ratio, that it is on the right track, and that it does not need 

another mandatory appropriation. 

Senator CRAPO. Well, I thank you for your attention to that. 

Second, to change issues quickly, as we did when we met privately, I want to discuss with you the housing finance reform legislation that this Committee has put forward. Secretary Donovan has 

worked very closely with this Committee in helping to develop this 

legislation and negotiating and advocating for its passage. If confirmed, will you commit to helping the Committee to move this important piece of legislation so that we can get our financial housing 

market back on track for long-term stability? 

Mr. CASTRO. Senator, you and Chairman Johnson, Committee 

Members, are to be commended for the work that you have done 

on this issue, and I share your goals of ensuring that we have a 


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housing finance system that both protects the taxpayers in a 

stronger way than we have had in place and also balances access 

to credit for folks of modest means who are creditworthy. And, so, 

I look forward, if I am confirmed, to being an active participant as 

the Committee and as the Senate continues to work on this issue, 

this legislation. Absolutely. 

Senator CRAPO. Thank you. Do you believe there are any negative consequences to our inaction on reforming Fannie and Freddie 

and resolving the conservatorship, and if so, what are they? 

Mr. CASTRO. Well, I do believe that the status quo is not in the 

best interest of Americans. I believe that if we can resolve these 

issues that I know the Committee is still very much discussing, 

even though this has made it out of Committee, that it would be 

preferable for the taxpayers not to be in the position of first loss 

and that the current conservatorship of Fannie and Freddie is not 

sustainable for the long term. I know that there is litigation already that has arisen, for instance, out of this, and so there have 

been some negative consequences. 

I will say, finally, that I know it is a balancing act, that there 

are concerns in terms of access to credit. And, having represented 

San Antonio and seen these issues on the ground level, I can understand those concerns, and if I am confirmed, I would look forward to being an active participant in trying to come to a resolution on that. 

Senator CRAPO. Thank you. 

Ms. Wertheimer, I am about out of time, and so I am going to 

have to submit most of my questions to you, and some additional 

ones to Mayor Castro in writing after the hearing, but one quick 

question to you that I do want to ask is another unique situation 

for the FHFA IG is the fact that the Treasury Department is a 

party a preferred stock purchase agreement which set the conservatorship terms for funding and repayment for Fannie and 

Freddie. How do you envision the FHFA IG interacting with Treasury or the Treasury IG to ensure adequate oversight given this 

unique situation? 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. Senator Crapo, my—the predecessor in this 

position, Mr. Linick, devoted a significant effort to developing collaborative working relationships with IGs in other agencies, including the Treasury Department, and the IGs, through cross-agency 

work, worked extremely effectively in oversight responsibilities 

where there was shared oversight. And, I would envision continuing that cross-agency collaboration with IGs in Treasury as 

well as with IGs in other agencies and with U.S. Attorneys across 

the country. That is the way we are going to get this job done, because there is cross-agency responsibility for enforcement of the 

laws. 

Senator CRAPO. Thank you. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Reed. 

Senator REED. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and 

welcome, Mayor Castro and Ms. Wertheimer. 

Mayor, can you share or elaborate on your vision of housing and 

urban development, particularly based on your experience as 

Mayor of San Antonio. 


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Mr. CASTRO. Thank you for that question, Senator Reed. Well, as 

a local elected official, of course, my viewpoint on this was from the 

other end——

Senator REED. Mm-hmm. 

Mr. CASTRO.——working at the ground level, and what I have 

found absolutely essential to ensuring that folks have good opportunity by what HUD does is to work across agencies. That is what 

we did in San Antonio. Very early on in my tenure, we got together 

our Housing Authority with our Transit Agency, one of our urban 

core school districts, one of our universities, the United Way, to figure out how we could make better use of resources and understanding from being at that local level that housing is an important 

component of overall quality of life and providing opportunity, but 

it is not the only component. When we tackle these issues in a 

more holistic way, along with education, along with transit, I believe it has a bigger impact, and I will be looking for opportunities 

to do that. 

Second, one of my significant take-aways from my experience in 

San Antonio as it relates to housing is that we need to measure 

the outcomes. We set a goal early on, for instance, in San Antonio, 

of trying to create 5,000 housing units in our downtown by the year 

2020, and later, we increased that to 7,500. It has been my professional experience that when you set a goal and when you are measuring results, you are much more likely to stay on track to try and 

achieve that. 

And then, finally, I see out there the urgency for more affordable 

housing opportunities in our urban community in San Antonio, but 

throughout the Nation, and I would work very hard, if I am confirmed, to do what we can to create those opportunities. 

Senator REED. Well, thank you, Mayor. 

Shifting to another issue that is going to be vitally important, 

and that is the Administration’s commitment to end veterans’ 

homelessness by 2015, and we are close in some parts of the country. In Rhode Island, we think we have approximately 97 homeless 

veterans at this time. We want it to be zero. But, can you tell us, 

what are your plans to help States, particularly Rhode Island, to 

reach this goal of no veterans’ homelessness? 

Mr. CASTRO. And, I commend you for the work that you and 

Members of the Committee have done. This, I believe, is a real 

bright spot for your work, for the Administration’s work, and for 

the work of Secretary Donovan, and a very laudable goal, to effectively eliminate veterans’ homelessness by the end of 2015. One of 

the primary ways that we have supported that—that HUD has 

supported that is through the VASH Program vouchers in close collaboration with the VA to help ensure that homeless veterans have 

the opportunity to get housing in local communities. 

And, if I am confirmed, I look forward to bringing a ton of energy 

to be supportive of that and to meet that goal. I know how important this is that we make right by our veterans, and HUD, if I am 

confirmed, will be a key, key driver of that. 

Senator REED. Well, thank you very much, Mayor. 

Ms. Wertheimer, you have an incredible record and your career 

has been distinguished by great intelligence, great integrity. And, 

I was impressed with your response to Senator Johnson’s, the 


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Chairman’s question about maintaining the appearance as well as 

the reality of independence. And, all I want to say is that this is 

going to be a continuous effort on your part, because, as you pointed out so succinctly, you know, many times, you will have firms 

that you have worked with on the other side of the table, clients 

on the other side of the table. But, I just want to, again, emphasize 

the notion of not just the reality, because I have no doubt you are 

going to be scrupulous in your conduct, but the perception that 

there are conflicts. And, let me just reinforce that point again, if 

I may. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. Thank you, Senator. I agree with you. I think 

an independent IG is only as credible as the, not only the actual 

independence, but the perceived independence. So, it is critical to 

me that this office, if I am confirmed, maintain both actual and 

avoid any appearance of lack of independence. 

Senator REED. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Shelby. 

Senator SHELBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mayor Castro, for years, I believe the problems of the FHFA 

have been well known by this Committee and probably a lot of 

other people. During the housing boom, the FHA, unwisely, I believe, guaranteed a lot of risky mortgages with low downpayments 

to borrowers. They were not the only ones. These mortgages have 

resulted in billions of dollars of losses to the taxpayer. 

In the interests of a stable and a fortified housing market, could 

you speak to your perspective, if you have one yet, of the reserve 

ratio of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, what it should be, 

and what about the minimum downpayment levels. Do you have a 

perspective on that? 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you very much for the question, Senator, and 

I want to commend you for your work over the years on this issue. 

Of course, the health of the FHA has been the subject, I know, of 

tremendous scrutiny and debate. I believe that there can be action 

taken to ensure that the FHA stays on a positive track. 

Senator SHELBY. Mm-hmm. 

Mr. CASTRO. My understanding, my preliminary understanding 

is that it is on a much more positive track now than it had been. 

Of course, the Reverse Mortgage Program and also some loans from 

the 2007 to 2009 time period were problematic. As you have mentioned and other Committee Members have mentioned, this was an 

unprecedented event, for it to need a mandatory appropriation. So, 

I believe that as we move forward, that there is reason to believe—

to have more confidence in the FHA. I am also aware, on the other 

end, that the credit quality of borrowers for the FHA is stronger 

than it ever has been, with a FICO score of just under 700. 

And, so, my perspective, whether it relates to the requirements 

for downpayments or other measures, is that we achieve this balance to stay within the mission of the FHA, the historic mission, 

to ensure that first-time home buyers, that folks of modest means 

who are creditworthy, that they have the opportunity to reach the 

American dream of home ownership, but at the same time, that we 

have policies in place that ensure that what happened a couple 

years ago does not happen again. 


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Senator SHELBY. I want to get into the Section 8 area. In fiscal 

year 2014, which we are in now, funding for the Section 8 programs total nearly $29.1 billion of the $45.47 billion in outlays for 

the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I believe that 

is about 64 percent. That is a heavy outlay. Could you talk about 

what, if any plans you have thought about as policy to try to rein 

in spending for this program. We know this is an important program for a lot of people, but I also serve on the Appropriations 

Committee. We have to deal with real numbers, too. 

Mr. CASTRO. Well, thank you very much for that question. I am 

fully aware that, as you say, the Section 8 program does consume 

a tremendous amount of HUD’s overall budget and that rents rise 

every year, and so we face that continuing challenge. I look forward 

to delving into more of the details to look at what ways we can 

achieve some efficiencies and, hopefully, streamline. I know that 

under Secretary Donovan’s leadership, HUD has looked at ways 

that it can be more nimble and achieve cost savings. And, if I am 

confirmed, Senator, I would look forward to visiting with you about 

this issue. 

Senator SHELBY. In the years leading up to the financial crisis, 

FHA’s mortgage insurance market share went from less than 5 percent to more than 30 percent in 2008. Those were the boom years. 

It continues to hover, I believe, at levels around 20 percent. What 

do you think of—have you thought about the area of expanding the 

Private Mortgage Insurance sector and ultimately moving toward 

a fully private sector mortgage insurance market, or is that too far 

out for you? 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you for the question, Senator. Well, I believe 

that the FHA does have an important role to play. Of course, it 

played a countercyclical role during this downturn, and as you 

mentioned, what we have seen is that as the housing market has 

gotten stronger and we see more private capital in the market, we 

have seen that market share go down. 

Senator SHELBY. OK. 

Mr. CASTRO. And, so, I believe that there is a strong role for the 

FHA, and if I am confirmed, I look forward to visiting with you and 

the Committee as we set that. 

Senator SHELBY. Ms. Wertheimer, my time is running short—it 

is out, I guess—but, I would like to ask you one or two questions. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Uh——

Senator SHELBY. What is your view of the level of independence 

needed between the IG and the Director of the FHFA and his senior staff, and how important is it for the Inspector General, which 

you have been nominated for, to not only have adequate resources—you have got to have those—but also unfettered access to 

all of FHFA’s records and data? 

Chairman JOHNSON. We will take this question, and then we will 

move to Senator Menendez. 

Senator SHELBY. Go ahead. You can answer the question. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. Thank you, Senator. I think independence is 

at the core of the IG mission. The—and, I have deep experience 

leading independent investigations. I value the importance of a 

working relationship with the FHFA Director, to report to him on 

what has been found in a collegial manner. But, it is not a collaboVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:47 Mar 17, 2015 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\DOCS\91243.TXT SHERYL

BANKI-41578DSA with DISTILLER
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rative relationship because the IG reports not only to the Director, 

but to Congress, and, therefore, in terms of reporting, what the IG 

has found, either in its evaluations or its audits or its investigations, will be communicated respectfully, but there will not be a 

collaboration on the reporting—on how to formulate a report. 

With respect to access, access is at the core of how the IG can 

fulfill its mission. If there is not unfettered access to the materials, 

the output will not be worth anything. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Menendez. 

Senator MENENDEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mayor Castro, I must tell you, there are not too many Castros 

I like——

[Laughter.] 

Senator MENENDEZ.——but, I do like you and the Congressman, 

so I look forward to working with you as the——

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you. 

Senator MENENDEZ.——Subcommittee Chair on Housing. 

You know, as you and I had an opportunity to discuss, New Jersey faced the worst natural disaster in its history and thousands 

of lives were affected, and many are still affected. If confirmed, you 

would have an important role of administering and overseeing approximately $15 billion in Community Development Block Grant 

Disaster Relief funding that was appropriated by the Sandy Emergency Relief Act, which I fought to pass. I am glad to see that we 

have deviated from an original attempt to spend $2 billion of that 

money on a National Resiliency Competition. It is now to about a 

billion, and New Jersey is going to be eligible for that competition, 

which, originally, we were told we were not. So, we are moving in 

the right direction. 

But, there is a lot still to be done. Many people are hurting in 

our State and in the region. So, I would like to invite you to join 

me on a tour of New Jersey to see both the work that has been 

done, but more importantly, see the work that has not been done 

and that is left still to achieve a full recovery and rebuild stronger. 

So, could I get your commitment as you move upon confirmation 

to visit with us in New Jersey, especially as the National Resiliency Competition is going to take place, to inform you of what the 

challenges we have. 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you very much for that question, Senator 

Menendez. I enjoyed our visit yesterday and want to commend you, 

as well, for your very strong and effective advocacy for folks who 

have been impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Of course, I would appreciate the opportunity to understand these issues even better by 

visiting New Jersey. 

Senator MENENDEZ. Now, the State has some very well publicized issues with administering CDBG grants in this context, particularly with contractors and the approval process. As HUD awaits 

New Jersey’s amended plan for the third tranche of funding, will 

you commit to working with me and the State to ensure proper 

contracting procedures are put into place and that the housing application process is as efficient as possible. All of these funds do 

nothing if, at the end of the day, it does not make its way to affected people. 


BANKI-41578DSA with DISTILLER
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Mr. CASTRO. I agree with you, and as a local official, of course, 

this has been my concern, ensuring that wherever resources come 

from, whether local, State, or Federal, that the rubber hits the road 

and that the lives that are meant to be impacted positively are impacted. If confirmed, I certainly will work with you to ensure that 

we do our best job on our—that HUD does its best job on its end 

to ensure success. 

Senator MENENDEZ. You know, the Subcommittee held a hearing 

on the Section 8 Rental Assistance Voucher reform, and it is an 

issue of priority for our affordable housing advocates, public housing authorities, affordable housing developers. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for example, in my State of 

New Jersey alone, we have a shortfall of more than 200,000 units 

affordable and available for our most vulnerable, extremely low-income households. And, nationally, the shortfall is greater than 

seven million. So, voucher reform, while some elements of this have 

been done by the Congress, there is still much work left to be done. 

Do you consider Section 8 Voucher reform legislation to be a priority, and will you work with us to help move the remaining elements of reform? 

Mr. CASTRO. I appreciate the question. I certainly do understand 

the importance of looking at reform, and as was mentioned earlier, 

the significance of this as a line item in HUD’s budget. Of course, 

I look forward to getting more up to speed on all the details of 

what is being proposed. However, if I am confirmed, I certainly will 

work with you and Members of the Subcommittee and this Committee to do what we can. 

Senator MENENDEZ. I appreciate that. For me, it may be a line 

item, but this is about millions of people’s lives. 

Mr. CASTRO. Certainly. 

Senator MENENDEZ. And, so, I may see it a little different than 

some of my colleagues, at the end of the day. From whence I came 

from and who I represent, I do not look simply at line items. I look 

at the lives that are affected. And, I hope that when you become 

HUD Secretary, you are going to look at the lives that are affected, 

not simply the line items——

Mr. CASTRO. Of course, Senator, I certainly will. I have done that 

throughout my time in public service, and as a local official have 

been primarily concerned with how the residents of my community 

are impacted by the actions that we take in public service. So, I 

recognize that, overall, we want people to have good housing opportunities, and if I am confirmed, look forward to working with you 

on that. 

Senator MENENDEZ. I am sure you will. I just sometimes need to 

be the countervailing force here on some other——

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Corker. 

Senator CORKER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank both of 

you for your willingness to serve in this capacity. Mr. Chairman, 

I am going to help get you back on schedule here and be very brief. 

To the Mayor, I know that as a former mayor, there is no job 

that is more gratifying, personally, than being the mayor of a city. 

As we change jobs, sometimes we have impact in different ways 

that maybe are not quite as up close and personal, but this certainly is a very important role. And, part of what you will be doing, 


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and you have discussed this with Members as you have answered 

questions, you will be involved in what happens with Freddie and 

Fannie. I mean, it ultimately affects FHA. Obviously, people seek 

your guidance. 

I know we had a conversation about this, and I am going to ask 

most of my questions in writing so we can move along with this 

hearing, but it is my understanding that you do believe that the 

duopolistic nature of the way things are today with two enterprises 

basically being it relative to the secondary market, that you believe 

that that has no place in the American society and you would work 

with us to end that type of arrangement. I know that you were a 

little vague on support of the bill, and you should be at this point, 

but relative to that one point, it is my understanding you agree 

with that 100 percent. 

Mr. CASTRO. Senator, thank you for the question and for the visit 

that we had. I absolutely believe that there are better alternatives 

than what we have in place with this duopoly, with the conservatorship. I agree with you on that point. And, I know, of 

course, as with any legislation, that the devil is in the details and 

finding that common ground. If I am confirmed, I look forward to 

being an active participant in that. 

Senator CORKER. Well, to both of you, we will have some QFRs, 

and, Mr. Mayor, subject to those coming in appropriately, I look 

forward to supporting you in this nomination. I thank you both for 

your willingness to serve, and Mr. Chairman, I will turn over the 

rest of my time——

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you 

Senator CORKER.——and hopefully get some points for this. 

Thank you. 

[Laughter.] 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Brown. 

Senator BROWN. You get points from Senator Tester for that, 

since he can now ask questions. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. Wertheimer, thank you for joining us, and Mayor Castro, 

nice to see you. 

Two local concerns I want to raise, just not as a question, but 

to thank you for the discussion we had and what HUD has been 

doing and what I assume from our conversation we will continue. 

One involves the City Gospel Mission in Cincinnati, which we discussed, a religiously affiliated men’s homeless shelter operating on 

HUD land. HUD has—the work that City Gospel has done to provide emergency housing in a way that meets HUD’s Fair Housing 

expectations, obviously, are important. I think we are close, but we 

are not there yet. But, they serve an absolute critical need for 

homeless men in Cincinnati without restricting access to service or 

employment and I appreciate the work that you have done there 

and thanks for your interest in moving that along. 

Second was the issue of streamlining multi-family operations. I 

understand 50 offices will be consolidated into just 12. As of 2016, 

there will no longer be any multi-family operations in many States, 

including Ohio, the seventh-biggest State in the country. I support 

efforts to make HUD more efficient. I share the concerns of Ohio’s 


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community leaders, though, that eliminating on-the-ground supervision could lower the quality of multi-family residences and reduce 

compliance. 

Secretary Donovan was highly engaged. We had perhaps three, 

maybe four conversations about it. My staff and his staff worked 

assiduously on it. Since the plan was announced, your predecessor 

committed to ensure the transition does not negatively impact the 

millions of families it employs who are affected by these local 

multi-family offices. So, taking care of the service they provide and 

the workers that are employed there, and I appreciate your commitment on that. 

Now, let me ask one question. A year ago, HUD proposed updates on a rule to ensure that recipients of HUD funds are living 

up to their commitment to affirmatively further Fair Housing 

goals. But, 9 months after comments were received, HUD still has 

not received the proposed data tools that would be included for 

public feedback, nor has it finalized the much-needed changes it 

proposed last July. Just tell me, if you would, tell the Committee 

what steps that you will take to make sure that State and local recipients of HUD funds engage in meaningful discussions about providing equal housing opportunities for people in our country. 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you very much for the question, Senator 

Brown, and for the visit that we had the other day. I, of course, 

have not been part of the rulemaking process before now. However, 

with regard to affirmatively furthering Fair Housing, I do believe 

it is important that there be that kind of guidance and comments 

from local authorities. I know that the San Antonio Housing Authority, for instance, provided comments. And, so, what I can commit to right now, whether it is this issue or another rule that is 

on the table, is that we will diligently proceed and take in the comments and consider them, and more generally, that I consider this 

something of importance for our local housing authorities. 

Senator BROWN. OK. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Thank you. Seth tells me that we will wait 

until ten after eleven. I apologize for this, but if you could abbreviate your questions slightly. Senator Toomey. 

Senator TOOMEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I will try to abbreviate my question. 

Thank you, Ms. Wertheimer and Mayor Castro. Good to see you 

both, and I appreciate the discussion we had in my office, Mayor 

Castro, but I do need to follow up on one of the topics we discussed. 

Many Members of this Committee have already alluded to the 

ongoing work to reform housing finance. And, while we have a 

range of opinions about how best to do that, I believe there is a 

unanimous agreement on this Committee that, however we do it, 

it has got to involve bringing private capital into financing residential mortgages. 

At the same time that we are having this discussion, as you 

know, there is a movement underway to attempt, by certain communities, to attempt to use eminent domain as an argument to justify confiscating mortgages from private lenders at a discount, some 

who knows what discount to what they are actually worth. 

First of all, I think it is a blatant violation of contract sanctity 

if they go ahead and do this. It is a taking of private property for 


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private gain, which I think our Constitution clearly forbids. And, 

it cannot but have a devastating impact on the ability to attract 

private capital, if private lenders know that they run this risk. 

So, my question is, as HUD Secretary, will you take active steps 

to deter this kind of activity, and specifically, would you forbid the 

FHA from participating in the refinancing of mortgages that were 

confiscated using eminent domain? 

Mr. CASTRO. Yes. Thank you very much, Senator, for the question and for our conversation the other day. As I mentioned the 

other day in our conversation, this particular device that I know 

a handful of cities have employed was an issue of first impression 

for me. This is not something that the city of San Antonio has 

tried. I understand, in fact, that it has not been put into effect actually in any city and that there is litigation surrounding it. 

I can understand why communities with a whole bunch of folks 

who are underwater might think of this method. However, I do see 

your point on why it causes concern among mortgage lenders. And, 

at this time, I would say that, if I am confirmed, I would look forward to visiting with you and with Committee Members on what 

HUD’s programmatic response ought to be. 

Senator TOOMEY. Well, I mean, I appreciate the ongoing discussion and the visiting, but I really think Senators ought to know 

what your views are about using eminent domain to confiscate 

mortgages and would you intend to allow the FHA to participate 

in that. 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you, Senator. I can certainly see your concern, and as I said, it is not something that the city of San Antonio, 

or under my leadership, we ever proposed or drew up. I would like, 

however, if I am confirmed, the opportunity to get a little bit more 

detail on the issue, understand it a little bit better, and then take 

that up with you and Members of the Committee. 

Senator TOOMEY. So, I see I am not going to get an answer to 

my question, Mr. Chairman, and I will yield the balance of my 

time. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Tester. 

Senator TESTER. It is good to have you here, Mayor, along with 

your wife and your brother. I appreciate you being willing to serve. 

You had talked in an earlier question about taxpayers should not 

be in first position of loss with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Do 

not let me put words in your mouth, but that is what I heard. Do 

you believe that the taxpayers can be protected without reform of 

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you, Senator, for the question. I believe that 

reform would be preferable to what we have in place now if the Nation were to experience another downturn, another housing crisis 

as we just experienced, and for that reason, I commend the Committee for working toward a housing finance model that takes the 

taxpayers out of their position of first loss and puts the private sector in that position. 

I fully understand, though, as well, the concerns of folks with regard to the other part of the balance, which is access to credit, and 

that we have had a housing finance system in place that seeks to 

ensure opportunity for Americans of modest means who are creditworthy borrowers. So, I can understand the very real concerns. 


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If I am confirmed, I would look forward to, hopefully, bringing 

some fresh energy to this and to working with Members of the 

Committee who are willing to work to find a resolution. So, just to 

answer your question, I do not believe that the taxpayers are nearly as protected as they could be under this different model and that 

is a positive of the legislation. 

Senator TESTER. OK. Do you think that access to credit versus 

taxpayer protection, do you believe we can have both? 

Mr. CASTRO. I absolutely believe that we can have both, and I 

know and I commend the Members of this Committee for working 

toward those dual goals. And, if I am confirmed, I look forward to 

working with you to achieve both of those goals that I believe need 

to be a part of any legislation. 

Senator TESTER. Housing conditions in Indian Country are in 

terrible shape. We visited about it when we were in my office. And, 

I appreciate the work that HUD has done in Indian Country. There 

is some word that the agency might be looking at different data 

sources and could potentially change the funding for Tribes that 

would have a negative effect on the Tribes in Montana. Could you 

give me assurances that any new formula that the agency would 

use in the future to allocate Tribal housing funds would not unduly 

disrupt the ongoing Tribal housing programs? 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you for that, and I want to commend you for 

the strong advocacy that you have shown in our conversations, and 

more generally, with respect to Tribal communities. I absolutely 

would agree with you that what we want to do is provide through 

our actions more—or, HUD wants to provide more housing opportunities and not less, and so what we—what HUD would seek to 

do, if I am confirmed, is to work with our Tribal communities, as 

we traditionally do, and also with you, Senator, and with the Committee to achieve a good balance. 

Senator TESTER. I look forward to that. 

Ms. Wertheimer, could you talk about what exactly would be required of the Federal Government if additional assistance were required and what obligations the enterprises would have to the taxpayers. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. You mean, were the enterprises to——

Senator TESTER. That is correct. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER.——operate at a loss——

Senator TESTER. That is correct. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER.——and then need to draw down? 

Senator TESTER. Yes. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER. The formula for when additional monies can 

be accessed has been set in the agreements that are in place. I 

think the taxpayers are already invested to the tune of a hundredand——

Senator TESTER. Eighty-seven. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER.——87.5 billion, and additional draws would 

further increase the risk to those taxpayers. It seems to me that 

the mission of the Inspector General’s office——

Senator TESTER. Yes. 

Ms. WERTHEIMER.——which is independent, rigorous, thorough 

oversight, does not change, because the fact that the taxpayers’ 

burden is increased heightens, if you will, the mission of the OIG, 


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but does not change what it will do in terms of its audits, evaluations, and investigations. 

Senator TESTER. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Warner, we have a couple minutes. 

Senator WARNER. I will be very—as brief as I can be, because I 

want to make sure Senator Warren gets her two cents in. 

Thank you both for your willingness to serve. 

Ms. Wertheimer, I am going to ask you a written question about 

the recent OIG, FHFA OIG report on the common securitization 

platform and how we move forward on that. 

Mayor Castro, great to see you. I enjoyed our visit. I simply want 

to—I know you are going to get up to speed on GSE reform. I 

would commend you, under Secretary Miller’s recent comments 

pointing out that the current profitability of the GSEs is 

unsustainable, that they, with their shrinkage requirement of 15 

percent of their portfolio on a regular basis, the small amount of 

profits they are making is disappearing. It would take 20 years to 

recapitalize them. We would still have the same debate—are they 

going to be for-profit, not-for-profit? 

We have discussed the current status quo, which has, particularly access to credit to African Americans, Latinos at an all-time 

low. 

And, the question that Senator Tester asked about—and was directed toward Ms. Wertheimer—the recent stress test shows a potential vulnerability of up to $190 billion of additional. Now, we do 

need to make sure credit locks and others, and Senator Warren, in 

particular, and others have been working on how we improve this 

legislation. 

So, I would simply ask, again, maybe for the fourth or fifth time, 

my hope is you will be confirmed, that you will get up to speed 

very, very quickly, and that GSE reform will be first out of the box 

on your list of priorities. Do you want to add a quick comment to 

that so we can move to Senator Warren? 

Mr. CASTRO. Thank you, Senator, for the comments, and as I 

mentioned, if I am confirmed, I do look forward to working with 

you and with the Committee to hopefully bringing some fresh energy to this and to helping to move a housing finance model that 

I think works for Americans. 

Senator WARNER. And, I will just simply add, there are improvements on the legislation that Senator Warren and others of ours 

have been working on. But, I would commend the urgency of Under 

Secretary Miller’s comments about how vulnerable taxpayers are, 

as well as some of the just awful access to credit for low-income 

people at this moment in time. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman JOHNSON. Senator Warren. 

Senator WARREN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and 

thank you, Senator Warner, for your speed. 

Thank you both for being here, for your willingness to serve. I 

am going to submit questions for the record, but I do want to make 

a point. You have been asked about GSE reform repeatedly because 

it is so important, important to our economy. We have talked about 

different problems we face right now. I would emphasize the problem of access, that many people are being cut out of the housing 


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market. You know, in 2001, before the housing bubble, when 

Fannie and Freddie were operating normally, the average credit 

score for a borrower receiving a Fannie- or Freddie-backed purchase money loan was 711. By 2013, the average credit score had 

jumped to 756. So, in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, more 

American families are struggling with damaged credit, but Fannie 

and Freddie have raised standards by nearly 50 points. Keep in 

mind that nearly 50 million Americans lie between those two 

points on the credit score continuum. The story is much worse for 

African American families, for Hispanic families. We have got to 

change what is happening with Fannie and Freddie. We have got 

to make reforms, and a large part of that is because of access. Any 

kind of reforms we do have got to be reforms that make mortgages 

accessible to middle-class families, that make mortgages accessible 

to families that are trying to build the American dream for themselves. 

So, I will stop there and submit the questions around that for the 

record. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman JOHNSON. I thank all the nominees for your testimony 

and for your willingness to serve our Nation. 

I will remind Members to submit questions for the record by 

noon this Friday, June 20. Nominees, please submit your answers 

to the written questions as soon as possible so that we can move 

your nominations forward in a timely manner. 

This hearing is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:13 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 

[Prepared statements, biographical sketches of nominees, and responses to written questions supplied for the record follow:] 


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PREPARED STATEMENT OF JULIAN CASTRO

TO BE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

JUNE 17, 2014

Thank you Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Crapo and Members of the Committee for welcoming me today. I am deeply honored to appear before you as President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I want to thank President Obama for his confidence in me. 

Allow me to also thank Senator Cornyn. He is a dedicated public servant, who 

also happens to hail from the great city of San Antonio, and I am incredibly grateful 

for his support and his generous introduction. 

I want to express my deep gratitude to my family and friends, especially my wife, 

Erica, and my brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro, both of whom have joined me. 

Without their support, I simply would not be here today. 

Finally, I want to commend this Committee, which has a well-earned reputation 

for working in a bipartisan fashion on behalf of the American people. It has been 

a pleasure to meet with you and your staff throughout this process. If confirmed, 

I look forward to our continued engagement to advance issues critical to our Nation’s future. 

Mr. Chairman, I appear before you today with more than just professional experience in dealing with housing and urban development. I also bring my own personal 

experience. I grew up on the West Side of San Antonio in a neighborhood of hardworking families of very modest means. My father—at two different times in his 

life—lived in public housing. My mother worked for the San Antonio Housing Authority. 

I’ve seen with my own eyes how talented and driven Americans who just want 

a fair shot are weighed down by the conditions in which they live, and this simply 

isn’t right. All Americans deserve the same opportunities that I had, and I’ve dedicated my career to giving back to the country that has given so much to me. 

As Mayor, I made it my mission to help create a vibrant, economically prosperous 

urban core that expands housing opportunities for all San Antonians. In 2010, we 

launched the ‘‘Decade of Downtown’’, an initiative to spark investment in our center 

city and older neighborhoods. This effort has attracted $350 million in private sector 

investment, which will produce more than 2400 housing units by the end of 2014. 

Looking ahead, during my recent visits with Committee Members, many of you 

asked about my priorities if I am confirmed. Allow me to share two of them with 

you. First, I am a strong believer in cross-agency collaboration. San Antonio’s East 

Side is the only neighborhood in America to receive a Promise Neighborhoods grant, 

a Choice Neighborhoods grant, a Byrne Criminal Justice Program grant and a 

Promise Zone designation. We accomplished this by getting beyond silos and working across agencies to improve housing, educational achievement and overall quality 

of life. This is the kind of collaborative approach I would like to enhance at HUD. 

Second, as a local elected official, I am also keenly aware of the value of measuring results. In San Antonio, we initiated a process of unprecedented public engagement and accountability called SA2020. Through a series of community meetings, residents spoke clearly about what kind of city they wanted to be in 2020. But 

we didn’t just set a vision. We set precise, numeric goals for achieving our vision. 

We promised the community that we would come back every year and report back 

on how we were doing: good or bad. With the help of the State demographer, we 

developed a public report card, available for anyone to see on SA2020.org, to give 

San Antonians a real-time snapshot of how we’re doing. 

Similarly, I would like HUD to focus on outcomes, not only inputs. We shouldn’t 

just track projects and dollars spent. We must measure those investments by the 

impact they make. Secretary Donovan has built a strong foundation for this and, 

if confirmed, I will work hard to make this the norm at HUD. 

HUD’s role is one of the most critical in Government because it directly impacts 

American families. From enforcing fair housing rights to revitalizing distressed 

areas—from assisting veterans in finding permanent housing to helping communities rebuild after a natural disaster hits—the Department is making an impact 

in small towns, big cities, rural communities and tribal communities across the 

country. 

The 21st century is shaping up to be the century of cities. And I believe there’s 

a reason for that: In America’s local communities, partnerships and pragmatism are 

the key drivers to success. That perspective has guided my efforts. If confirmed, I 

look forward to working with you to strengthen opportunity for Americans through 

HUD’s efforts. 


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Once again, thank you Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Crapo and Members 

of the Committee for your consideration of my nomination. It is an honor to appear 

before you. I would be happy to answer your questions.


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PREPARED STATEMENT OF LAURA S. WERTHEIMER

TO BE INSPECTOR GENERAL, FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

JUNE 17, 2014

Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Crapo and Members of the Committee, 

thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today. I am honored to be President Obama’s nominee for Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency 

(‘‘FHFA’’). The FHFA plays a critical role in our financial system as the safety and 

soundness regulator of the Federal National Mortgage Association (‘‘Fannie Mae’’), 

the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (‘‘Freddie Mac’’), and the Federal 

Home Loan Bank System, comprised of 12 regional Federal Home Loan Banks 

(‘‘FHLBanks’’). Since September 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in 

conservatorship under FHFA, because of concern that their deteriorating financial 

condition threatened the stability of the financial markets. Fannie Mae and Freddie 

Mac currently own or guarantee $5 trillion in mortgages, three out of every four 

mortgages in this country. 

The FHFA Inspector General’s mission is to promote the economy, efficiency, and 

effectiveness of FHFA’s programs and operations. To carry out this mission, OIG 

conducts and coordinates audits and evaluations of FHFA’s activities, which includes FHFA’s regulation of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLBanks and its 

conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and investigations involving 

FHFA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLBanks. Strong independent oversight 

of FHFA programs and operations is critical to safeguard taxpayer dollars and ensure that FHFA programs and the FHFA’s conservatorships of Fannie Mae and 

Freddie Mac are conducted in accordance with the laws enacted by Congress. 

Much of my professional career has focused on leading investigations into alleged 

wrongdoing and counseling clients on improvements to internal controls and processes to prevent and detect violations of governing laws and regulations. I have significant experience running independent investigations for audit committees and 

committees of independent directors of public companies looking into financial statement reporting and disclosure errors, alleged accounting irregularities, misconduct 

by corporate officers and employees, possible improper payments to foreign government officials, whistleblower claims, and other significant issues identified by internal or external auditors. These investigations followed the facts wherever they led, 

without fear or favor; developed remedial measures tailored to the facts found; and 

monitored implementation of that remediation. 

If confirmed as the FHFA Inspector General, I will exercise my duties aggressively and independently. I have a deep appreciation of the critical importance of 

conducting rigorous, fair and thorough audits, evaluations and investigations, communicating the results to stakeholders clearly and holding individuals and entities 

accountable for their actions. I pledge to be responsive to this Committee and to 

Congress as a whole and will work to develop a good working relationship with the 

FHFA Director. 

After more than 30 years in the private sector, I am honored to have an opportunity for public service. My father was a first generation immigrant who came to 

this country with his parents in 1938, escaping with the clothes on their backs and 

speaking only German. My grandparents had to reinvent themselves in a strange, 

new environment: my grandmother found work as a domestic house cleaner and my 

grandfather was employed to scrub out cocoa barrels on the New York docks. Together, they earned enough to rent an apartment in Kew Gardens, a community 

populated with German and Austrian refugees. My father enrolled in New York City 

public schools, learned to speak unaccented English, and graduated as valedictorian 

of his high school class. 

America has given much to me and to my family. I am eager to give something 

back to America. 

Thank you and the Committee for your consideration of my nomination. I look forward to answering your questions.


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RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS OF SENATOR CRAPO 

FROM JULIAN CASTRO 

Q.1. Secretary Donovan has been a strong vocal proponent of the 

housing finance reform bill S. 1217 that passed this Committee last 

month. He worked closely with the White House and the Committee in negotiating this legislation and advocating for its passage. He has previously stated that ‘‘The proposed Johnson-Crapo 

bill provides the best chance to overhaul the mortgage finance system this decade.’’ Do you agree and if confirmed, will you commit 

to helping the Committee to move S. 1217 so that we can get our 

financial housing market on a track for long-term stability?

A.1. While I am not familiar with the details of Treasury’s analysis, as I emphasized at my hearing, leaving the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) in conservatorship indefinitely is not an 

acceptable option. In my view, ending taxpayer bailouts, preserving 

the 30-year mortgage and improving access to responsible, creditworthy borrowers is an essential part of comprehensive housing reform and, if confirmed, I will work with the Committee on S. 1217 

to achieve these goals.

Q.2. Treasury Under Secretary Mary Miller recent stated, ‘‘(e)ven 

if truly rehabilitating the GSEs were possible, recapitalizing them 

adequately would take at least 20 years. During these 20 years, the 

taxpayer would remain at risk of having to bailout the GSEs during another downturn. We would also be signing up for another 20 

years of underserving responsible credit-worthy Americans seeking 

to buy a home.’’ Do you agree with this statement?

A.2. Yes, I reiterate the commitment I made before the Committee 

on June 17, 2014, regarding my unwavering support for moving 

forward with this legislation. I believe that comprehensive housing 

finance reform is one of the last remaining pieces of work to do to 

respond to the financial crisis and prevent it from happening again. 

President Obama believes that we cannot afford to turn back to a 

housing finance system where the private sector wins during good 

times, but leaves the taxpayers on the hook during bad times. 

Comprehensive housing reform will strengthen the economy and 

help create a safer and sounder housing finance sector. As I stated 

at the hearing, I strongly share the Committee’s goals of ensuring 

that we have a housing finance system that both protects the taxpayers in a stronger way than we have had in the past, and also 

balances access to credit for folks of modest means who are creditworthy. If confirmed, I look forward to being an active participant 

as the Committee and the Senate continue to work on this bi-partisan legislation.

Q.3.a. The FHA Insurance fund has been undercapitalized since 

2009. At the end of FY2013, FHA announced that it would need 

$1.7 billion from Treasury to cover an increase in anticipated costs 


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of loan guarantees. This marked the first time that FHA needed 

funds from Treasury to cover an increase in expected future losses 

in its single-family mortgage program. Last year, the Committee 

moved legislation—the FHA Solvency Act, with strong bipartisan 

support, to get FHA back on stable financial footing to ensure that 

FHA is there for future generations. During your confirmation 

hearing you stated that you were committed to ensuring that FHA 

maintain a positive capital reserve ratio. Do you commit to achieving and maintaining that ratio as required by law?

A.3.a. If confirmed, I commit to continuing and building upon the 

appropriate and balanced measures taken to date to improve the 

health of the FHA’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. I understand that in its most recent report the independent actuary predicted that the Fund would reach the statutory 2 percent capital 

reserve ratio in 2016. While I understand that these projections are 

subject to economic assumptions and models which may vary from 

year to year, I do also believe FHA is on the right track to meet 

that statutory mandate in the near term particularly based on the 

$15 billion dollar improvement reported in the most recent independent actuary report.

Q.3.b. Are there any instances in which you believe it would be acceptable to lower incoming revenues while in violation of Federal 

law as it pertains to required level of capital for FHA?

A.3.b. The FHA, in playing both a countercyclical role in the housing market and also serving as a resource for underserved, low 

wealth and creditworthy borrowers, must always balance it mission 

with its fiduciary and legal responsibilities. I understand that 

while the Fund is on the right track there are still risks in the outstanding portfolio that must be actively managed. As evidenced by 

the $15 billion improvement in the health of the Fund as of its 

most recent annual report, the FHA has worked hard over the last 

few years to establish a premium structure that appropriately accounts for risk and encourages access to mortgage credit for responsible, creditworthy borrowers and encourages the return of private 

capital. 

While the FHA has raised premiums 6 times since 2009, it has 

also taken other aggressive steps to strengthen the credit quality 

of new loans, now insuring the strongest loans in the organization’s 

80 year history. In addition, FHA has instituted policies to reduce 

losses and improve recoveries on claims paid from the Fund. 

If confirmed, I look forward to continuing to explore other mechanisms to continue these positive measures, balancing risk to the 

Fund with preserving access to mortgage credit. FHA recently announced a number of measures intended to mitigate risk of incoming loans while providing opportunities for housing finance to creditworthy borrowers who are not otherwise being served in today’s 

tight market environment. I would review those programs to assure that they adequately protect the Fund and keep it on track 

for maintaining its positive capital trajectory. Furthermore, if confirmed, I would ensure FHA continues to monitor economic conditions, access to credit, and the financial health of the Fund on an 

on-going basis, taking appropriate actions as needed.


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Q.4. The Department and the FHA program have consistently projected overly optimistic forecasts for the solvency of the MMIF, 

while the actual condition of the fund has worsened. Just recently 

the FHA has proposed a new pilot program to reduce premiums for 

home buyers. How do you intend to balance credit access and affordability with accurate pricing and protecting the American taxpayer?

A.4. FHA is taking action on a number of policy changes aimed at 

improving access to credit but these are not being taken at the expense of the insurance fund. As I understand, policies such as 

those outlined in the Blueprint for Access will continue to protect 

the Fund, even as they enhance access. 

Thus, factoring in the substantial changes FHA has made in 

terms of credit, pricing and loss mitigation policies, I believe FHA 

should continue to assess ways that it can diligently protect the 

Fund while facilitating access to affordable mortgage products for 

underserved borrowers and communities seeking a pathway to the 

middle class.

Q.5. Currently, we are in very tight budgetary times which may 

mean finding ways to save money throughout the Federal Government. As such, it is incumbent upon all leaders in Government to 

find ways to reduce spending, especially when such reductions are 

achievable without a reduction in service. If confirmed, will you 

commit to looking at items that will reduce fraud, waste and overlapping programs to help reduce the Federal deficit?

A.5. If confirmed, I will commit to exploring ways to reduce fraud, 

waste and inappropriately redundant programs, and am dedicated 

to using the HUDStat process, for example, to examine all programs at HUD for consolidation and streamlining opportunities 

while protecting the recipients of HUD funding. Every dollar used 

to support the most vulnerable populations in our country needs to 

be used to its maximum efficiency, and I commit to pushing for 

that efficiency in every program.

Q.6.a. If confirmed, your leadership of HUD would provide you 

with the opportunity to instill the importance of transparency and 

cooperation with HUD stakeholders as well as Congress. I recently 

asked a previous HUD nominee a series of questions related to actions brought by HUD. Specifically, I asked the question below and 

received little by way of an informative response.

In recent years, several Federal regulatory agencies have 

increased significantly the use of ‘‘disparate impact’’ enforcement actions in their oversight of the housing and financial sectors. Disparate impact enforcement actions 

have been brought even in the absence of direct discriminatory evidence or discriminatory motive. In your opinion, 

when should disparate impact enforcement actions and 

cases be brought when there is no evidence of direct discriminatory evidence or discriminatory motive exist? 

Should a Federal agency be required to share any economic analysis conducted upon which such action has been 

based? If not, then how should these analyses be verified?


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If you are confirmed will you commit to instilling throughout all of 

HUD a culture that fosters more open communication with both 

stakeholders and Congressional oversight? 

A.6.a. Yes. I am committed to open communication with both 

stakeholders and Congress. If confirmed, and in the spirit of Executive Orders regarding transparency, I will work to ensure that such 

communication is provided with both Congress and stakeholders to 

the fullest extent consistent with statutes that govern HUD’s interactions, including the HUD Reform Act and Appropriations requirements.

Q.6.b. What is your response to the questions above that I asked 

of the previous nominee and received little by way of an answer?

A.6.b. Many civil rights statutes allow for proof of discrimination 

without evidence of discriminatory intent. Among them are Title 

VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), and the 

Fair Housing Act. Under such statutes, evidence of the impact of 

the challenged action is required, and the defendant has the opportunity to prove that the challenged practice was nonetheless justified. 

As you know, the Fair Housing Act’s disparate impact standard 

is not new. HUD has been using this method of proving discrimination in housing for decades, and it also is widely accepted by the 

other Federal financial regulatory and enforcement agencies. In 

fact, in 1994, eleven such agencies, including the Federal Reserve 

System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal 

Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Department of Treasury, plus 

HUD and DOJ, adopted a Policy Statement on Fair Lending recognizing that disparate impact is one of the methods they would use 

to identify lending discrimination under the Fair Housing Act and 

ECOA. 

In the context of any enforcement actions by HUD under the Fair 

Housing Act, the Department explains the bases for its finding of 

reasonable cause to believe discrimination occurred (or did not 

occur) in a formal determination of reasonable cause (or no reasonable cause). This is so in all cases, including those relying on a discriminatory effects method of proof. 

If confirmed, I would continue to rely on this longstanding and 

widely accepted law enforcement method to distinguish between 

unnecessary barriers to equal opportunity in the housing market 

and valid policies and practices that are crafted to advance the legitimate interests of housing providers, mortgage lenders, and others covered by the Fair Housing Act. It is my understanding that 

few of the discrimination claims charged by the Department involve disparate impact claims, but regardless of volume, I would 

ensure that the Department enforces this standard, like all laws it 

enforces, in a fair and judicious manner.

Q.7. HUD has a number of rental programs target acquisition and 

maintenance of the Nation’s older, affordable rental stock. There 

have been significant changes to these programs within the past 18 

months. Part of balancing your duties to protect the taxpayer with 

the programs’ goal of providing access to individuals and families 

earning below area median income, is ensuring that the financial 


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protections in place appropriate match the risk of each program. If 

you are confirmed, will you commit to a review of these programs 

to ensure that risk mitigation is appropriate?

A.7. If confirmed, I look forward to working with Congress to make 

sure that oversight of these important programs is appropriate to 

the risk of each program. I believe that each Federal dollar should 

be used to its maximum efficiency, and this requires careful oversight by both HUD and Congress. I look forward to working with 

Congress, if confirmed, to ensure that HUD is striking the correct 

balance between protecting the taxpayer and providing affordable 

housing for individuals of modest means. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS OF SENATOR HAGAN 

FROM JULIAN CASTRO 

Q.1. Mr. Castro: over the next few years, North Carolina will be 

providing supportive housing to thousands of non-elderly adults 

with serious mental illness who will have access to new services 

from our State’s public mental health system. As part of a settlement with the Federal Government, my State has agreed to provide thousands of new units of permanent supportive housing as an 

alternative to adult care home settings that were deemed to be institutional in nature. I am concerned that it may be more difficult 

for these individuals to receive Housing Choice Vouchers from Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) because of bureaucratic obstacles to 

obtaining approval from HUD headquarters. 

If confirmed, will you commit to working with this Committee 

and stakeholders (including the disability community) to simplify 

these rules for PHAs and State housing agencies?

A.1. HUD has worked with other States that are implementing settlements with the Federal Government to transition individuals 

with disabilities out of institutional settings and into communitybased housing. In a number of instances, HUD has authorized the 

use of preferences for this purpose, providing such individuals with 

easier access to Housing Choice Vouchers when they are ready to 

live in community-based housing. If confirmed, I would be happy 

to work with North Carolina in obtaining the necessary legal authorizations.

Q.2.a. It has been brought to my attention that HUD made a commitment to the MTW agencies across the country to extend their 

contract agreements for another 10 years. I understand that MTW 

agencies have grown increasingly concerned about the expiration of 

their existing contracts in 2018. While this may be several years 

away, the uncertainty regarding contract renewal has begun to impact their ability to enter into long-term strategic partnerships and 

joint funding agreements with partners such as mental health systems and school districts. It also has an impact on financing arrangements for long-term and large-scale redevelopment projects 

being undertaken by MTW agencies. I understand that the commitment to extend the MTW contracts was formalized this past March 

by the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. Are you 

aware of the MTW contract extension commitment by HUD?


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A.2.a. Yes. As Mayor of San Antonio, I am familiar with how the 

San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) has used its flexibilities as 

a Moving to Work (MTW) agency to design and test innovative 

strategies related to rent reform and family self-sufficiency. I have 

seen first-hand what this program can do to address local community needs. In preparation for my nomination hearing, I was informed by HUD staff of discussions related to MTW contract extensions. It is my understanding that, in the spring of this year, the 

Assistant Secretary stated at an industry meeting that she would 

consider granting early contract extensions for MTW public housing authorities who met certain performance standards. I understand the Department is presently reviewing its contract extension 

options on account of MTW contract litigation.

Q.2.b. If confirmed as HUD Secretary, will you follow up to ensure 

that HUD honors its commitment to these housing authorities?

A.2.b. If confirmed, I am committed to ensuring that HUD meets 

its obligations under the MTW contracts. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS OF SENATOR WARREN 

FROM JULIAN CASTRO 

Q.1. One of HUD’s most important responsibilities is helping enforce the Fair Housing Act. But HUD’s office of Fair Housing and 

Equal Opportunity is severely understaffed. There are currently 

575 full-time employees in the Office—the fewest there have been 

at any point in the past 25 years. In 2008, the bipartisan National 

Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, led by former 

HUD Secretaries Jack Kemp and Henry Cisneros, found that the 

Office needed at least 750 employees to operate effectively. That 

means we have a 30 percent shortfall. Other than trying to get additional money from Congress, how would you attempt to address 

this staffing shortfall?

A.1. My understanding is that the Office of Fair Housing and 

Equal Opportunity (FHEO) currently has 533 full-time employees, 

which, as you note is the lowest staffing level for the office in 25 

years. 

As the agency charged with enforcement of the Fair Housing Act 

for the country, HUD must use its resources to the greatest extent 

possible for this effort and work with Congress to support adequate 

funding to support that effort. To my knowledge, FHEO has already taken a number of steps to deal with the present staffing 

constraints, including reducing management positions, streamlining its offices, improving training and implementing work sharing. In addition, the office has modernized some systems to reduce 

duplication of work. However, should HUD receive no additional 

funds to support fair housing, HUD likely will have to make difficult choices about Departmental priorities. If confirmed, I am 

committed to continuing this approach in a manner that will allow 

FHEO to pursue its mission to the fullest extent possible.

Q.2. Tenants in HUD housing can be valuable partners with HUD 

in overseeing the Nation’s multi-billion dollar investment in low income rental housing. Congress has authorized $10 million annually 

for tenant participation in Section 8 housing since 2002. Yet out of 


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the $120 million Congress has authorized HUD to spend on tenant 

participation in the last 12 years, HUD has spent only $3 million 

for that purpose. If you are confirmed, will you use the funds authorized for tenant participation for their specified purpose?

A.2. I agree that tenants can be valuable partners with HUD in 

managing the Department’s investment in affordable rental housing. I also understand from HUD staff that while there is authorization for a tenant participation program out of the Project-Based 

Section 8 account, no dollars were appropriated for this purpose between 2002 and 2011. When the current Administration came into 

office, it evaluated the problems the OIG had found with a former 

program and re-instituted a new tenant participation program with 

accountability measures called the Tenant Resources Network and 

requested and received $10 million in 2011 from Congressional Appropriators for the program. I also understand that the Department, through the Tenant Resource Network and other means does 

provide funding to tenants to participate in their affordable, assisted housing communities, advancing the intent of the applicable 

authorizing statute. 

If confirmed as Secretary, I would take steps to ensure that all 

HUD dollars are appropriately and effectively spent in order to advance the Department’s mission and obligations. In the case of tenant involvement, within budget constraints, I would utilize existing 

statutory authority to assist these organizations in support of their 

communities. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS OF SENATOR COBURN 

FROM JULIAN CASTRO 

Q.1. In your testimony, you state that cross-agency collaboration 

will be one of your top priorities. In an August 2012 report, ‘‘Opportunities Exist to Increase Collaboration and Consider Consolidation,’’ GAO identified 160 Federal housing assistance initiatives administered by 20 different Federal entities costing about $160 billion in FY2010. 89 of these programs are administered by HUD. 

As Secretary, how will eliminating, consolidating, and streamlining duplicative or overlapping programs within and outside 

HUD fit into your stated goal to boost cross-agency collaboration? 

Moreover, will you work with Congress to seek any necessary legislative authority to eliminate, consolidate, or streamline HUD programs?

A.1. If confirmed, I commit to working with Congress very closely 

to achieve any legislative authority needed to eliminate, consolidate 

or streamline HUD programs that have been found to be duplicative, where appropriate. I understand that HUD has already 

worked with Congress extensively to achieve several streamlining 

goals in the rental assistance portfolio, such as allowing for consolidation of Public Housing Authorities and streamlining duplicative 

reporting requirements. In addition, HUD has worked with Congress over the past 2 years to consolidate legacy programs like the 

Rent Supplement (Rent Supp) program and the Rental Assistance 

Payment (RAP) program into the Rental Assistance Demonstration. 

I am very committed to cross-agency collaboration, as shown in 

my work as Mayor of San Antonio. In making decisions about colVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:47 Mar 17, 2015 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\91243.TXT SHERYL

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laboration and consolidation, I focus on the value and impact of 

each dollar, data that indicate program outcomes, and areas for 

which duplication is occurring and can be eliminated. If confirmed, 

I will work with Congress to continue to streamline programs, 

while always remembering the people on the receiving end of the 

support.

Q.2. In January 2013, Congress passed a bill to provide $60.4 billion in emergency disaster aid for the areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The States of New York and New Jersey plan to spend 

$65 million of the Federal disaster aid on television ads promoting 

local tourism. The States sought and received waivers to use the 

CDBG Disaster Recovery funds to promote local tourism. Do you 

believe television advertisements to promote tourism is an appropriate use of Federal disaster relief funds?

A.2. As mayor of a city with strong economic growth, I know well 

the importance of economic development. Tourism is an integral 

part of San Antonio’s economy. Advertising is crucial to drawing 

new and repeat visitors to the area. I agree with the position taken 

by HUD that Federal disaster recovery funds that are available for 

economic revitalization of disaster areas may be used to support 

some tourism activities in distressed areas whose local economies 

were dependent on tourism prior to the disaster. This is the position that HUD has taken in the past and most recently with respect to activities in New York and New Jersey where tourism suffered a significant blow as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

Q.3. FHA currently uses accounting methods prescribed by the 

Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (FCRA). Under FCRA, FHA calculates the expected future costs and gains of its insurance claims, 

but does not account for variations in market risk. According to 

CBO, ‘‘the single-family mortgage guarantees made by FHA between 1992 and 2012 have had a net Federal budgetary cost of 

about $15 billion, according to the most recent estimates by FHA. 

In contrast, FHA’s initial estimates of the budgetary impact of 

those guarantees sum to savings of $45 billion.’’ FHA’s single-family mortgage guarantee program is projected to rise from $150 billion in FY2015 to $250 billion in FY2025. CBO estimates that 

using FCRA accounting the program will earn taxpayers $63 billion 

over the next 10 years. But under fair value accounting, the program will actually cost the taxpayer $30 billion over the same time 

period. 

CBO states that ‘‘the fair-value approach offers a more comprehensive estimate of Federal costs.’’ Do you agree with CBO’s assessment that Congress should use fair value accounting to assess 

the real costs of FHA’s Single Family Mortgage Guarantee Program to the taxpayer?

A.3. As I understand, the Office of Management and Budget implements the requirements of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 

to measure the cost of Federal programs. This form of accounting 

for Federal programs is, according to the Analytical Perspectives 

accompanying the President’s budget, intended to reflect the estimated lifetime costs of loans and loan guarantees up front on a net 

present value basis. 


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Fair Value Accounting represents an alternate view for measuring Federal credit programs. It requires additional assumptions 

and adds factors that may not be relevant for assessing budget affects, thus yielding cost estimates that may be unnecessarily inflated relative to real costs. 

If confirmed, I will manage the Department in a way that is consistent with the legal and administrative obligations applicable to 

the Department and the Federal Government as a whole.

Q.4. The HUD IG office recently reported that based on an audit 

of 75 local public housing agencies (PHAs), HUD has doled out 

about $225 million in questionable spending at those PHAs since 

2012. David Montoya testified that ‘‘over the course of our work, we 

have seen that PHAs often run with little oversight and are, in 

some instances, prone to ethical lapses that may attract media attention.’’ Montoya went on to state that the boards and commissions tapped to oversee the PHAs ‘‘exercises little or no oversight 

and the members themselves have few or no qualifications to effectively discharge their responsibilities.’’

Additionally, while PHAs continue to misuse millions in taxpayer 

dollars, many of them have failed to maintain adequate living conditions. Instead, some have provided at times dangerous housing 

facilities. Montoya testified that ‘‘time and again we see violations 

of housing quality standards at individual PHAs.’’ An external 

audit of the New York City Housing Authority found that HUD 

will potentially pay more than $148 million in housing assistance 

for units that materially do not comply with HUD’s standards in 

that single PHA. 

During your hearing, you stated that you will work to find savings in the Section 8 housing programs. Finding costs savings must 

begin with knowing where the funds are going in the first place. 

As HUD Secretary, what specific steps will you take to implement 

a robust oversight component into our Nation’s PHAs to prevent 

the massive waste and potential fraud the HUD OIG has identified? Further, what steps will you take to ensure that HUD funding is prioritized to bring up the living conditions to meet HUD 

standards?

A.4. Improving the living conditions for public housing and housing 

choice voucher families is personal for me. 

I understand that there have been oversight issues in the Housing Choice Voucher program because SEMAP, the PHA performance evaluation system for the HCV program, is primarily based on 

self-certification. HUD has relied on self-certification because the 

Department has not, and in this fiscal environment, will not have 

the resources necessary to conduct reviews of each of the nearly 

4,000 PHAs across the country. For this reason, the Department 

has moved to a risk-based approach. As it pertains to the HCV program, in FY14, PIH launched Quality Assurance inspections of 

30,000–40,000 voucher units which will be completed by December 

30, 2014, and provide a first time significant in-depth look at HQS 

standard compliance in our largest PHAs. Technical Assistance and 

follow up quality control will be provided to those PHAs who are 

not ensuring property owners maintain their units at an acceptable 

level. 


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As for HUD’s overall oversight and monitoring initiatives, it is 

my understanding that over the past 4 years HUD has significantly 

improved oversight and accountability with respect to public housing authorities. As the appointing official for the Board of Commission of the San Antonio Housing Authority, I fully understand the 

critical role State and local governments and the boards we appoint 

play in providing the primary oversight for PHAs. 

While preparing for my nomination hearing, one of the many 

things I learned was that the Department has already significantly 

increased management and ethics training for PHA Board of Commissioners. Relatedly, managers are providing technical assistance 

and training to PHAs on internal controls and best practices at regional and national conventions of industry associations throughout 

the year. I also understand that a new partnership between PIH 

and the OIG has just been formed to provide additional technical 

assistance to governing boards to strengthen oversight efforts. 

Last, I understand that the Department is developing several riskbased, early detection tools to more quickly mitigate performance 

issues. 

These are all strong, initial steps in ongoing efforts to prevent 

waste, fraud and abuse. If I am confirmed, I will continue to push 

for staff specializing in risk mitigation. I will also push for additional funding for IT systems to address ongoing PHA performance 

challenges and to improve monitoring and oversight of statutory 

and regulatory requirements.

Q.5. Under current practice, HUD grants can be used to repay 

HUD loans. The Senate approved an amendment in 2011 that 

would prohibit the use of Federal grants to repay Federal loans. Do 

you believe that entities should be able to receive HUD grants to 

repay HUD loans?

A.5. I have not studied this issue in depth and would want to collect additional information before offering a view. A number of factors may be relevant for consideration, including whether repayment of the Federal loan with HUD grants helps achieve measured 

long-term savings, permits recapitalization of property, keeps costs 

low in response to changing market conditions, and preserves essential affordable housing. As I noted during the hearing, I am a 

firm believer in measuring outcomes and, if confirmed, would utilize this approach in addressing this very important question. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS OF SENATOR CRAPO 

FROM LAURA S. WERTHEIMER 

Q.1. The Inspector General of the FHFA is in a rather unique situation. The Director of FHFA acts as not only regulator, but also executive and shareholder of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

Because of this unique situation, how do you believe the FHFA 

JG needs to go about providing adequate oversight as compared to 

an JG without that unique circumstance?

A.1. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (‘‘HERA’’) 

imposes a number of duties on the Federal Housing Finance Agency (‘‘FHFA’’) as the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac 

(‘‘the Enterprises’’), and as the regulator of the Enterprises and the 


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Federal Home Loan Bank System. As conservator, FHFA assumes 

the authority of the management and boards of Fannie Mae and 

Freddie Mac during the period of the conservatorship and directs 

the Enterprises’ business activities and operations in order to conserve and preserve the assets of each company. As regulator, 

FHFA’s mission is to ensure through its supervision and examination activities that each of the regulated entities is operating in a 

safe and sound manner so they can serve as a reliable source of 

liquidity and funding for housing finance and community investment. 

HERA also amended the Inspector General Act of 1978 to establish the Office of Inspector General of the FHFA (‘‘FHFA OIG’’). 

That Act empowers Inspectors General, to ‘‘conduct, supervise, and 

coordinate audits and investigations relating to the programs and 

operations’’ of the respective agency. Under the Inspector General 

Act, the duties and responsibilities of FHFA OIG remain the same, 

whether FHFA acts as conservator or regulator: to promote the 

economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of FHFA’s programs and operations through independent and rigorous oversight. 

Of course, the existence of the conservatorships means that 

FHFA has a much broader range of responsibilities with respect to 

the Enterprises than just its duties as regulator. FHFA OIG’s role 

is correspondingly broader, because it must perform appropriate 

oversight of FHFA’s exercise of its conservatorship responsibilities. 

FHFA’s conservatorship responsibilities encompass the authority of 

the management and boards of the Enterprises, and FHFA OIG 

therefore must structure its oversight program to examine FHFA’s 

exercise of those critical responsibilities, which differ significantly 

from the typical Federal financial regulatory programs. My experience in conducting independent investigations of alleged wrongdoing and compliance with governing laws and regulations on behalf of private-sector companies’ audit committees will be particularly useful in performing this aspect of FHFA OIG’s responsibilities. 

The critical importance of FHFA OIG’s independent oversight is 

underscored by the $187 billion in taxpayer monies that the Enterprises have drawn, pursuant to their agreements with the Department of the Treasury, and the potential $5 trillion in taxpayer exposure from the mortgages owned or guaranteed by the Enterprises. If confirmed as Inspector General, I will focus on the core 

mission of the FHFA OIG: to protect the taxpayer with independent and thorough audits, evaluations, and investigations of 

FHFA’s programs and operations.

Q.2. Does FHFA’s operations as conservator of Fannie and Freddie 

require a different type of oversight than does its operations as regulator of the Federal Home Loan Banks, in order to assure adequate review of its activities?

A.2. The FHFA OIG mission remains the same, whether FHFA 

acts as conservator or as regulator: to protect the taxpayer through 

independent and rigorous oversight of FHFA’s programs and operations—whether as regulator or as conservator. If confirmed as 

FHFA Inspector General, I intend to analyze FHFA’s functions as 

conservator and regulator to identify high risk areas and target reVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:47 Mar 17, 2015 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 S:\DOCS\91243.TXT SHERYL

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sources for audits, evaluations, and investigations accordingly. As 

discussed in the answer to the previous question, the nature of the 

conservatorship responsibilities is different from FHFA’s regulatory 

responsibilities and therefore is likely to carry risks that differ 

from FHFA’s regulatory responsibilities, and accordingly produce a 

different—and probably more extensive—list of activities that 

should be subject to audits, evaluations, and investigations.


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