The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 35323537), effective November 9, 1965. It was created to:

-administer the principal programs that provide assistance for housing and for the development of the Nation's communities;

-encourage the solution of housing and community development problems through States and localities; and -encourage the maximum contributions that may be made by vigorous private homebuilding and mortgage lending industries, both primary and secondary, to housing, community development, and the national economy.

Although HUD administers many programs, its major functions may be grouped into six categories:

-insuring mortgages for single-family and multifamily dwellings, and extending loans for home improvement and for purchasing mobile homes; -channeling funds from investors into the mortgage industry through the Government National Mortgage Association;

-making direct loans for construction or rehabilitation of housing projects for the elderly and the handicapped;

-providing Federal housing subsidies for low- and moderate-income families; -providing grants to States and communities for community development activities; and

-promoting and enforcing fair housing and equal housing opportunity.

Office of the Secretary

Secretary The Department is administered under the supervision and direction of a Cabinet-level Secretary who:

-formulates recommendations for basic policies in the fields of housing and community development;

-works with the Executive Office of the President and other Federal agencies to ensure that economic and fiscal policies in housing and community development are consistent with other economic and fiscal policies of the Government;

-encourages private enterprise to serve as large a part of the Nation's total housing and community development needs as possible;

-promotes the growth of cities and States and the efficient and effective use of housing and community and economic development resources by stimulating private sector initiatives, public/private sector partnerships, and public entrepreneurship;

-ensures equal access to housing and affirmatively prevents discrimination in housing; and

-provides general oversight, as required by law, of the Federal National Mortgage Association.

Staff Offices

Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization oversees HUD's small and disadvantaged set-aside contracting activities and the Minority Business Enterprise Programs.

Administrative Law Judges The Office of Administrative Law Judges hears and decides Federal Housing discrimination cases under the Administrative Procedure Act, as well as those arising under departmental regulations. HUD Board of Contract Appeals The Board issues binding decisions on all appeals of HUD actions in contracting, awarding grants, disciplining mortgagees, and offsetting tax refunds of people indebted to HUD.

Director for Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight The mission of this office, as defined by the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and

Soundness Act of 1992, is to oversee the financial safety and soundness of the

Program Areas

Assistant Secretary for Housing— Federal Housing Commissioner This office underwrites single family, multifamily, property improvement, and manufactured home loans; administers special purpose programs designed specifically for the elderly, the handicapped, and the chronically mentally ill; administers assisted housing programs for low-income families who are experiencing difficulties affording standard housing; administers grants to fund resident ownership of multifamily house properties development; and protects consumers against fraudulent practices of land developers and promoters.

For further information, contact the Assistant
Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing
Commissioner. Phone, 202-708-3600.

Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development The Office administers grant programs to help

Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.

Departmental Offices Other departmental offices include Office of Administration, Office of Chief Financial Officer, Office of General Counsel, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Office of Public Affairs, Office of Inspector General, and Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity.

External Organization

Federal Housing Finance Board The Board, established as an independent agency in the executive branch by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, oversees the Federal Home Loan Banks. Its function is to ensure that the Federal Home Loan Banks carry out their housing finance mission, remain adequately capitalized, and operate in a safe and sound manner.

communities plan and finance their growth and development, increase their capacity to govern, and provide shelter and services for homeless people. The Office is responsible for implementing:

-Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs for entitlement communities, State- and HUDadministered small cities, Section 108 community development loan

guarantees, special purpose grants for insular areas, historically black colleges and universities, technical assistance, and Appalachian Regional Commission grants;

-Hope for Homeownership of Single Family Homes (HOPE 3), which provides homeownership opportunities to lower income persons by providing guarantees with Federal assistance to carry out or finance the acquisition and rehabilitation of single family properties for sale and occupancy by families at affordable prices;

-Home Investment in Affordable Housing (HOME), which provides Federal assistance for use by participating jurisdictions or Indian tribes for housing rehabilitation, tenant-based assistance, assistance to first-time homebuyers, and new construction when a jurisdiction is determined to need new rental housing;

-the Department's programs to address homelessness, including the Supportive Housing Program (transitional housing and permanent housing components), supplemental assistance for facilities to assist the homeless (SAFAH), shelter plus care, surplus property for use to assist the homeless, Section 8 moderate rehabilitation single room occupancy (SRO) program, housing opportunities for persons with AIDS, emergency shelter grants, and safe havens;

-the John Heinz Neighborhood Development Program;

-community outreach partnerships; -the Joint Community Development Plan, assisting institutions of higher education working in concert with State and local governments to undertake activities under the CDBG program; -community adjustment and economic diversification planning grants; -the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970;

-the youth build program, which provides opportunities and assistance to very low income high school dropouts, ages 16-24;

-the comprehensive housing affordability strategy (CHAS);

-empowerment zones and enterprise communities;

-efforts to improve the environment, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and related statutes and Executive orders; and

-community planning and development efforts with other departments and agencies, public and private organizations, private industry, financial markets, and international organizations.

For further information, contact the Office of Community Planning and Development. Phone, 202-708-2690.

Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research The Office supervises the Department's research activities and the development of its policies and is responsible for experimental housing and technical studies. The Office:

-develops a research agenda to reflect the overall policy needs of the Department;

-performs background analyses, studies, and priority assessments concerning housing and community development issues;

-provides economic analyses and recommendations, performs housing and financial market research, and designs and monitors housing-related data series; -evaluates existing and proposed HUD programs;

-analyzes the adequacy of existing and proposed program information systems to provide timely and relevant information;

-provides technical and analytical assistance to program Assistant Secretaries;

-evaluates new housing and construction materials and techniques and encourages use of new technologies; -supports the Secretary in carrying out responsibilities for Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation regulations; -manages research contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants; and -administers the Office of University Partnerships and oversees grants awarded for the community development work study, joint community development, and community outreach programs.

For further information, contact the Assistant
Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
Phone, 202-708-1600.

Lead-Based Paint Abatement and Poisoning Prevention This office is responsible for all lead-based paint abatement and poisoning prevention activities in the Department, including, but not limited to, policy development, abatement, training, regulations, research, and policies applicable to other HUD programs. Some specific activities include: