Which U.S. federal department oversees national housing and urban-development programs?
Answer
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development oversees national housing and urban-development programs.
Congress created HUD in 1965 through the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act, and the department began operating as a Cabinet-level agency in January 1966. Its responsibilities include housing assistance, community development, fair-housing enforcement, and support for homeownership and rental housing.
HUD administers or supervises programs involving public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, community development grants, and the Federal Housing Administration. The FHA itself is an agency within HUD and insures mortgages made by approved lenders; it does not usually lend money directly to homebuyers.
HUD is also associated with the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which enforces the federal Fair Housing Act. Its role is broader than mortgage finance: it covers housing policy, neighborhood investment, homelessness programs, and civil-rights protections in housing.