Civil and Human Rights Coalition: Julian Castro an “Outstanding Choice” for HUD Secretary

On June 17, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights expressed vigorous support for the confirmation of San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro to be the next Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a letter to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. President Obama nominated Castro last month.

Castro was elected mayor of San Antonio in 2009, becoming the fifth Latino mayor of the city and the youngest mayor of a top-50 American city. Under Castro’s leadership, San Antonio has experienced and been recognized for remarkable economic growth over the last five years after the recession – unlike most other major American cities.

In the letter, The Leadership Conference cited Castro’s work as mayor as one of his strongest qualifications, saying that he “has focused extensively on the kind of urban core revitalization work that would make him a valuable asset as secretary,” while making “extensive progress in promoting workforce development, education, energy policy, and health care throughout the entire city.”

“HUD’s role is one of the most critical in government because it directly impacts American families,” Castro said, in testimony during his June 17 confirmation hearing. “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.”

The committee will likely vote on Castro’s nomination in the coming weeks.