Ben Carson confirmed as US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

"I am thrilled to nominate Dr. Ben Carson as our next Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development," President Donald Trump said in a statement. "Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities."

Carson has said he will work to help underprivileged communities.

“I feel that I can make a significant contribution, particularly by strengthening communities that are most in need,” Carson said in December. “We have much work to do in enhancing every aspect of our nation and ensuring that our nation’s housing needs are met.”

Carson, born in 1951, will lead an agency with some 8,300 employees and a budget of about USD47 billion.

The Department provides billions of dollars in housing assistance to low-income people through vouchers and public housing. It also enforces fair housing laws and offers mortgage insurance to poorer Americans through the Federal Housing Administration, part of HUD./.