Dive Brief:

• The new Housing and Urban Development secretary said Tuesday he plans to boost the number of homeowners and make it easier for them to get mortgages.

• In his first major speech since he took over the top job at HUD in July, Julian Castro, the former San Antonio mayor, also said his agency—which oversees federally subsidized, low-income housing—will add education and employment services for residents of public housing.

• Castro urged Congress to pass a bipartisan housing finance reform proposal.

Dive Insight:

Castro’s arrival in Washington coincides with a 17-year low in home lending. “It’s time to remove the stigma associated with promoting homeownership,” he said at a Bipartisan Policy Center forum. “When done responsibly, it strengthens communities and boosts our economy.”