Congressman Juan Ciscomani convened a community roundtable with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner on May 3 to discuss housing affordability and federal efforts to promote economic growth in Southern Arizona.
The event brought together local leaders and stakeholders to address challenges related to affordable housing, regulatory barriers, and development opportunities in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. Participants emphasized the need for streamlined approval processes for housing projects.
“It was an honor to welcome Secretary Turner to Southern Arizona and bring together local leaders focused on expanding opportunity,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “We had a productive discussion on strengthening Opportunity Zones, increasing housing affordability, and expanding access to quality housing across AZ-06.”
Secretary Turner addressed the group by stating HUD’s mission is about helping people. “The federal government is not the answer. The answer is in the private sector,” said Secretary Turner. “We want to open up new paths for people to be successful…We’re bringing faith-based entities to the table…Faith-based organizations have been helping people long before the government got involved.” Eric Renaud, President/CEO of Pima Federal Credit Union, said: “It was an honor to host Secretary Scott Turner and Congressman Juan Ciscomani, alongside local community leaders, for an important conversation on affordable housing in our community. Pima Federal Credit Union is committed to expanding access to homeownership through innovative home loan programs helping families build stability, achieve their goals, and create generational wealth.”
Ciscomani highlighted both legislative efforts such as the bipartisan FAST Housing Act—which aims at accelerating construction by reducing regulatory barriers—and successful local initiatives like those led by Gospel Rescue Mission at HS Lopez Foundation’s Center of Opportunity.
According to Ballotpedia, Ciscomani defeated Kirsten Engel in both the 2022 (winning 50.7% of votes) and 2024 (winning 50%) general elections for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District seat. He replaced Ann Kirkpatrick as representative in January 2023 according to AZCentral. Biographical information shows that Ciscomani was born in Hermosillo, Mexico in 1982; he graduated from University of Arizona with a BA degree in 2005 according to official records.
Ciscomani concluded: “I’m proud of the work happening in Washington and in the 6th Congressional District,” adding that it was important for Secretary Turner “to hear directly from our community.” The broader discussion reflects ongoing concerns about rising costs of living and how federal policy can impact local development.
