WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is looking for a smaller, cheaper building for its headquarters. It's part of a larger to shrink not only the number of federal employees, but also the where they work.
In announcing the plan, the agency said its 1968 building in Washington, D.C., currently faces over $500 million in deferred "maintenance and modernization." It said current staff occupy only half the space and that relocating will "reduce the burden on the American taxpayer."
HUD Secretary Scott Turner has also called the massive, curved structure ""
"HUD's focus is on creating a workplace that reflects the values of efficiency, accountability, and purpose," Turner said in a statement. "We're committed to rightsizing government operations … to deliver results for the American people."
The agency did not say how much it's asking for the building.
DOGE, the cost-cutting team overseen by billionaire Elon Musk, has targeted cutting HUD staff by half, according to an internal document seen by NPR.
HUD headquarters, formally called the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, is now up for sale, although that could be complicated by its listing in the . The agency said a timeline and final location are not yet set, but that "the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area remains a top priority."
HUD headquarters is near a busy metro stop in downtown D.C. But this week, President Trump gave federal agencies outside of city centers. He revoked two previous orders, by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, that had encouraged agencies to locate in business districts and historic properties.
Trump's order said those past measures "prevented agencies from relocating to lower-cost facilities," and that agencies "must be where the people are."
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