HUD puts half-occupied headquarters building in DC up for sale

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) pointed out that only half of its D.C. headquarters is being used after the agency’s building was added to a list of federal properties marked for sale by the Trump administration Thursday.

HUD’s headquarters became the first major federal agency building to be added to the General Services Administration’s list of “assets identified for accelerated disposition” amid GOP efforts to slim down the government’s real estate portfolio and potentially relocate agency headquarters outside the nation’s capital. 

Simultaneously, Democrats have taken steps to block these efforts, including through the introduction of legislation in Congress. 

Last month, the GSA retracted a list of 440 “non-core” assets, including the HUD headquarters and more than a dozen other federal buildings it had initially listed for sale or disposal, according to the Federal News Network. The GSA subsequently posted a new list, but HUD is the first major executive agency headquarters to be included. 

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President Donald Trump campaigned on relocating federal agencies outside the nation’s capital in 2024 as part of his wider efforts to clean up waste, slim down the federal government and “dismantle the deep state.” 

Earlier this week, Trump signed an executive order rescinding two prior executive actions put into effect under the Carter and Clinton administrations, which the president said in his directive “prevented agencies from relocating to lower-cost facilities.” Trump’s directive also points out that by moving federal agencies closer to the people they are serving, rather than being centrally located in the nation’s capital, it will help the departments more successfully carry out their missions. 

“HUD’s focus is on creating a workplace that reflects the values of efficiency, accountability and purpose,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said Thursday. “We’re committed to rightsizing government operations and ensuring our facilities support a culture of optimal performance and exceptional service as we collaborate with our partners at GSA to deliver results for the American people.”

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HUD indicated Thursday the timeline and final location for the headquarters relocation were still being considered. But the agency did note that the Washington, D.C., metro area remains one of the top options under consideration.  

The HUD headquarters is located inside the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, which is in the Southwest part of D.C. According to HUD, the building is facing $500 million in “deferred maintenance and modernization needs,” which the agency said costs taxpayers more than $56 million annually in rent and operations expenditures.

Media reports earlier this month indicated the Department of Agriculture has been putting together plans to relocate its federal headquarters outside D.C., according to several officials briefed on the plans.