Housing and Urban Development - Definition

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, often abbreviated HUD, is a Cabinet department of the United States government. It was founded in 1965 to develop and execute policy on housing and cities. It has largely scaled back its urban development function and now focuses primarily on housing.

The department was established on September 9, 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (PL 89-174) into law. It stipulated that the department was to be created no later than November 8, sixty days following the date of enactment. The actual implementation was postponed until January 13, 1966, following the completion of a special study group report on the federal role in solving urban problems.

It is administered by the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Operating units

All current programs are grouped in the following categories:

• Regulating Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
• Multifamily housing Federal Housing Administration
• Single family housing programs
• Healthcare facility loans
• Office of Public and Indian Housing HOPE (Section 8)
• Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
• Community Development Block Grants
• Office of Policy Development and Research (Bridges to Work)
• Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
• Lead hazard controls

Related legislation

• 1944 - Servicemen's Readjustment Act PL 78-346
• 1949 - Housing Act PL 81-171
• 1950 - Housing Act PL 81-475
• 1951 - Defense Housing Act PL 82-139
• 1952 - 550 Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act PL 82-325,
• 1954 - Housing Act PL 83-560
• 1959 - Housing Act PL 86-372
• 1962 - Senior Citizens Housing Act PL 87-723
• 1965 - Housing and Urban Development Act PL 89-117
• 1965 - Department of Housing and Urban Development Act PL 89-174
• 1968 - Housing and Urban Development Act PL 90-448
• 1974 - Housing and Urban Development Act PL 93-383
• 1976 - Housing and Urban Development Act PL 94-375
• 1986 - Tax Reform Act PL 99-514
  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
• 1987 - Housing and Urban Development Act PL 100-242
• 1987 - McKinney Homeless Assistance Act PL 100-77
• 1990 - National Affordable Housing Act PL 101-625
• 1992 - Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act PL 102-550

A similar organization, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), has operated in Canada since World War II. CMHC operates under the authority of the National Housing Act in Canada by providing mortgage financing, mortgage insurance and related program assistance.

External links

• United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Official Website (http://www.hud.gov/)
• HUD's Mission and History (http://www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf18/mission.cfm)
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/index.cfm)
• HUD's missing $59 billion (http://www.whereisthemoney.org)
• Where is the Collateral? (http://www.whereisthemoney.org/S00223_collateral.htm/)
• FHA, HUD & the Mortgage Market Bubble (http://www.solari.com/gideon/articles/q301.pdf/)

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