On February 10, an email circulated among Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) employees requesting a list of every bureau contract, specifically inquiring about their importance to the agency and whether they included Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) components. This message was attributed to Scott Langmack, a senior advisor for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who simultaneously holds the position of chief operating officer at Kukun, a property technology company focused on aggregating complex data sets.
Langmack’s dual roles are not unique within the DOGE ranks, as exemplified by Tom Krause, a software CEO at a company with substantial Treasury contracts while also acting as the fiscal assistant secretary at the Treasury. This overlap raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest, particularly in light of Langmack’s privileged access to crucial systems within HUD, including databases containing extensive financial records and expenditure mappings totaling billions of dollars.
Another identified DOGE member, Michael Mirski, operates within TCC Management, a Michigan-based mobile home park operator with ties to the Wharton School. The network of DOGE operatives extends to five distinct HUD systems, granting them access to a wealth of sensitive data ranging from federal housing voucher recipient details to financing information on various healthcare and housing facilities. This insider knowledge could potentially offer unparalleled insights into the US real estate market, posing ethical and security challenges within the agency.
Despite detailed inquiries into Langmack’s status at HUD, Kukun remained unresponsive, leaving questions about his employment status and duration with the department unanswered. Similarly, Mirski’s absence on leave until July underscores the opacity surrounding these dual-role operatives and their impact on critical HUD systems. In response to mounting queries, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett emphasized a collaborative approach between DOGE and HUD, dismissing speculations about conflicting interests and highlighting a unified mission under a HUD DOGE taskforce.
The intersection of property technology (proptech) and government oversight introduces a complex landscape of data utilization and market forecasting. Companies like Kukun specialize in predictive analytics and automated valuation models (AVMs) to support property renovation decisions and real estate investments. Such advancements, underscored by Kukun’s selection for REACH accelerator support, exemplify the evolving proptech sector’s influence on real estate market dynamics and investment strategies.
Navigating the intricacies of accessing, interpreting, and leveraging vast data repositories like those housed within HUD systems requires a delicate balance of transparency, accountability, and ethical stewardship. As DOGE operatives navigate their roles within HUD, the potential implications of their actions extend beyond mere data utilization to encompass broader market impacts, privacy concerns, and governmental oversight challenges.
Sources within HUD reveal the existence of a six-person DOGE team within the department, comprising a mix of pre-existing HUD employees and external appointees like Mirski and Langmack. The nuances of their access levels to critical HUD systems, including LOCCS, HUDCAPS, and WASS, underscore the intricate nature of their roles and the potential risks associated with unauthorized data utilization or manipulation. The delicate balance between operational efficiency and data security underscores the ongoing scrutiny surrounding DOGE’s influence within HUD and the broader real estate landscape.
Within the LOCCS system, which governs HUD grant program disbursements, the intricate approval mechanisms and fund protection protocols highlight the critical role that access management plays in safeguarding billions of dollars dedicated to HUD projects. Similarly, the phased-out HUDCAPS system, still in use for housing voucher payment processing, underscores the vast amounts of personal data housed within HUD databases and the need for stringent privacy safeguards amid evolving data utilization trends.
Mirski’s access to WASS, the linchpin of HUD system permissions and authorizations, raises significant concerns about the extent of his control over critical data pathways within the agency. As the custodian of system-wide access rights, WASS plays a pivotal role in ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and operational efficiency across various HUD databases, underscoring the potential risks associated with unauthorized access or misuse of sensitive information.
The interconnected nature of HUD systems, as exemplified by IDIS and FASS-PH databases, further amplifies the complexity of DOGE operatives’ roles and the ethical dilemmas surrounding their access to confidential data repositories. From tracking nationwide HUD programs to assessing public housing agencies’ financial viability, these systems house a wealth of personal, operational, and financial data critical to HUD’s mission and public trust.
The potential implications of insider access to HUD systems extend beyond privacy concerns to encompass broader market impacts, policy influences, and public trust considerations. The delicate balance between leveraging data for operational efficiencies and safeguarding sensitive information underscores the challenges facing HUD in navigating the evolving proptech landscape, regulatory scrutiny, and workforce transformations. As HUD grapples with workforce purges, policy shifts, and data security challenges, the role of DOGE operatives within the agency raises critical questions about transparency, accountability, and ethical governance in the ever-evolving real estate market.
