CANTON, Ohio — Ahead of the Pro Football Hall of Fame game, former NFL football player and current U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner visited Canton to highlight a nonprofit creating new housing.
However, Turner didn't reveal a specific game plan related to an idea floated by the Trump administration that could limit how long people can receive government help for housing.
The proposal calls for placing a two-year limit on government rental assistance.
When asked about the proposal Thursday during a news conference at an apartment complex under construction, Turner said, "Time limits actually put an encouraging stamp on people in our country, and while we are called to help those who need help, I don't believe in America that we are called to live in subsidized public housing the entirety or our lives."
If changes are coming, Turner didn't offer a timeline.
"Our whole aim is to help people live lives of self-sufficiency and self-sustainability, and I will say this, it's a work in progress. Stay tuned," Turner said.
A possible two-year limit is concerning to Toya Sorrells, a mother who has lived for eight years at Jackson Sherrick, a public housing complex in Canton.
"I agree that it is a stepping stone, but also agree that sometimes it's not as easy as people make it seem," Sorrells said.
Carlesha Jackson, who works near Jackson Sherrick, worries that families could face homelessness if time limits are enacted.
"What are we gonna do with the thousands of babies that live in these low-income, subsidized housing if they're only given a two-year period?" Jackson said.
Citing research from New York University, the Associated Press reported that if families were cut off after two years, 1.4 million households could lose their vouchers and public housing subsidies, which could lead to evictions.
Turner joined other politicians, as Pastor Don Ackerman with Canton for All People, gave a tour of Newton Family apartments, which are being built along Tuscarawas Street West.
The $21 million project is building hope on a site that was known for drugs, gangs and prostitution. Canton for All People bought the property in 2021.
"This was our former Canton Inn. It was a slum motel. It was here. In partnership with the city of Canton, we were able to purchase it, tear it down," Ackerman said.
The 52 units will be considered affordable housing with one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom options. Construction is expected to be finished in February.
"My heart is so encouraged and I'm very proud because this is action. This is results, not just words to build affordable housing," Turner said.
Ackerman said the project is a public/private partnership. While this will not be a HUD complex, more than $2 million in HUD funding—- known as HOME Dollars— was received by Canton a few years ago, and the city applied that money towards the build.
"This is a great example of how HUD's money with an interest community can provide good housing for working families," Ackerman said.
The pastor added that residents will be offered free or reduced childcare at the YMCA and he feels the project will provide a boost to the Greater Shorb neighborhood.
"It's not just about the bricks and sticks. It's about the people and putting them on a path of rebuilding our neighborhoods like we wish we would have found them when we got here."
Turner said HUD focuses on revitalization and bringing new life to communities. He feels the work done by Canton for All People highlights that.
"This is actually what can be done around our country and I wish all America could see what's been going on around here, and we aim to tell this story."
