What is the Department of Housing and Urban Development?

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is the federal department responsible for housing policy, urban development, fair housing enforcement, and assistance to low-income renters and homeowners. Often called HUD, the department was created in 1965 under President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his Great Society program to address urban poverty and housing shortages. Robert C. Weaver served as the first Secretary of HUD and became the first African American Cabinet member in U.S. history. The department's headquarters is the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building in Washington, D.C., named in his honor.

HUD has roughly 8,000 employees and works with state and local governments, public housing agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private developers to carry out its programs. Its responsibilities cover three main areas: providing rental assistance to low-income households, enforcing federal fair housing laws, and supporting community development.

The Office of Public and Indian Housing manages the public housing program and the Housing Choice Voucher program (often called Section 8), which together help roughly 5 million low-income households afford housing. The Federal Housing Administration, which became part of HUD in 1965, insures mortgages for low-down-payment home buyers, allowing many Americans to buy homes who otherwise could not qualify for conventional loans.

The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity enforces the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. The Community Planning and Development office provides grants such as the Community Development Block Grant program, which gives funds to states and local governments to address housing, infrastructure, and economic development needs. The Office of Housing also oversees programs for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and people with HIV/AIDS.

HUD coordinates federal homelessness programs through the Continuum of Care system. The Secretary of HUD advises the President on housing policy and leads federal responses to housing crises, including disaster recovery efforts. Recent Secretaries include Ben Carson, Marcia Fudge, and Scott Turner.