Which U.S. federal agency was created in 1965 to oversee housing and urban-development policy?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was created in 1965 to oversee national housing and urban-development policy.

Usually called HUD, the department was established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act. It became a cabinet-level department during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, with Robert C. Weaver as its first secretary.

HUD administers or supervises programs involving affordable housing, community development, homelessness, fair housing, and housing assistance. It also works with the Federal Housing Administration, although the FHA is an agency within HUD rather than the department’s name.

The department is sometimes confused with the Department of Agriculture, which operates rural housing programs, and with Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise involved in mortgage finance. HUD’s role is primarily public policy and program administration.