The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the relocation of its headquarters out of Washington, DC, to Alexandria, Virginia, into the headquarters of the National Science Foundation (NSF), which has not been assigned a new location.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner has been highly critical of HUD’s longtime headquarters at the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, calling it the “ugliest building in DC.” In April, the property was added to the list of federal buildings designated by the General Services Administration for “accelerated disposal.”
The NSF has been in its Alexandria headquarters since 2017. The American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, the union that represents NSF workers, condemned the eviction of the agency’s roughly 1,830 employees from its headquarters, which is slated to occur over the next two years.
“While Secretary Turner and his staff are busy enjoying private dining and a custom gym, NSF employees are being displaced with no plan, no communication, and no respect,” said the union in a statement. “This callous disregard for taxpayer dollars and NSF employees comes after the Administration already cut NSF’s budget, staff and science grants and forced NSF employees back into the office. This kind of let-them-eat-cake approach to government is absurd. At a time when they claim to be cutting government waste, it is unbelievable that government funding is being redirected to build a palace-like office for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The hypocrisy is truly dumbfounding.”
Neither Turner nor Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin made mention of the NSF in the official statement announcing HUD’s relocation. Younkin said his state was “excited to welcome the Department of Housing and Urban Development and their over 2,700 headquarters-based employees to the best state in America to live, work, and raise a family,” while Turner said the move “reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility and mission effectiveness. The Robert C. Weaver Federal Building requires hundreds of millions in long-term repairs and this move will ensure they quickly have access to a modern work environment that fits their needs.”
Photo of the NSF headquarters courtesy of WDG Architecture
