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    HUD: US Department of Housing and Urban Development

    Also known as Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD.gov

    The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the principal US federal agency for housing needs, fair housing and community development, established in 1965.[1] It received $84.2 billion in FY2026 discretionary funding, more than half of which goes to rental assistance for about 4.5 million households.[2][3] Under Secretary Scott Turner it has moved homelessness funding away from "Housing First".[4][5]

    Editor reviewedStrict sourcingUpdated WikiSocial welfare, Tech policy
    Key facts

    The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) runs most federal rental assistance and homelessness grants. It also funds community development and collects key housing data.[1][3] This profile covers its structure, budget and the policy changes of 2025-2026. Programme rules vary and change; check hud.gov or your local housing agency for current details.

    Role and history

    HUD was established in 1965 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act. The Federal Register describes it as the principal federal agency for the nation’s housing needs, fair housing opportunities and community development.[1] HUD mostly works through intermediaries. About 2,000 local public housing agencies run the Housing Choice Voucher program with HUD money, and some 3,300 agencies manage public housing.[6][7] For homelessness, HUD says it funds local partners and is not a direct service provider.[8]

    Budget

    Nearly all HUD funding comes from annual appropriations. More than half goes to maintaining Section 8 vouchers and project-based rental assistance for about 4.5 million households. Even so, those programmes serve an estimated one in four eligible families, so most communities have waiting lists.[3] HUD received $84.2 billion in gross discretionary funding for FY2026.[2] The President’s FY2027 request, submitted April 3, 2026, proposes $73.5 billion.[2][9] It would eliminate programmes that received about $9.1 billion in FY2026, including the HOME program and the Community Development Fund, while increasing public housing and tenant-based rental assistance accounts.[10] It would also eliminate the Continuum of Care program and fold homeless assistance into the Emergency Solutions Grants.[9] Congress decides the final amounts.

    Homelessness programmes

    HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is the largest federal funding source aimed specifically at homelessness. In FY2024, 62% of CoC money went to permanent supportive housing and 20% to rapid rehousing.[11] HUD also runs the annual point-in-time count. Its 2025 count, released May 29, 2026, found 745,652 people experiencing homelessness.[12][13] Releasing it, Secretary Scott Turner said the “housing first” status quo had failed to reduce homelessness meaningfully.[4] HUD’s FY2025 and FY2026 CoC funding notices shifted money toward transitional housing and required services. Courts and Congress have both intervened, and the FY2026 competition is proceeding under a First Circuit stay while the appeal continues.[5][14][15] See the homelessness policy tracker for dates.

    Other 2025-2026 changes

    • Staffing. Secretary Turner confirmed in June 2025 a staffing reduction of about 2,300, and CRS notes reports that the entire staff of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness was put on administrative leave.[16]
    • Work requirements. A March 2026 proposed rule would let certain agencies and owners set work requirements and time limits in assisted housing.[17]
    • Construction rules. After Executive Order 14394, HUD published best practices in May 2026 aimed at cutting the cost and time of building new homes.[18]
    • New law. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, law since July 11, 2026, gives HUD new grant programmes to run if Congress funds them.[19][20]

    HUD also maintains the public database of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties.[21] For how its programmes work for renters, see the rental and housing assistance guide.

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    Questions readers ask

    What does HUD do?

    HUD is the principal federal agency responsible for programmes concerned with the nation's housing needs, fair housing opportunities, and community development. It was established in 1965.[1]

    Does HUD give money directly to tenants?

    Mostly not. About 2,000 local public housing agencies run the Housing Choice Voucher program with HUD funding and pay subsidies directly to landlords, and HUD says it is not a direct provider of homeless services.[6][22][8]

    How big is HUD's budget?

    HUD received $84.2 billion in gross discretionary appropriations in FY2026. The President's FY2027 request proposes $73.5 billion, about 13% less.[2]

    What is the Continuum of Care program?

    It is HUD's competitive grant program and the largest federal funding source aimed specifically at homelessness. In FY2024, 62% of its funding went to permanent supportive housing.[11]

    Is HUD adding work requirements?

    In March 2026 HUD proposed a rule that would let certain housing agencies and owners set work requirements and time limits of at least two years for non-elderly, non-disabled families. CRS still described it as a proposed rule in its September 25, 2026 report.[17]

    Sources

    · 22 claims from 5 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      HUD was established in 1965 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act and is the principal federal agency for the nation's housing needs, fair housing and community development. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    2. [2]

      HUD received $84.2 billion in gross discretionary appropriations for FY2026; the President's FY2027 request proposes $73.5 billion, about 13% less. confirmedas of 2026-04-30

    3. [3]

      Nearly all federal housing assistance funding comes from annual appropriations; more than half of HUD's appropriations go to maintaining assistance for about 4.5 million households in the Housing Choice Voucher and Project-Based Rental Assistance programs, which together serve an estimated one in four eligible families. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    4. [4]

      Releasing the 2025 count, HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the "housing first" status quo had failed to meaningfully reduce homelessness; HUD measured trends from 2013, which it described as the start of Housing First policy changes in its programs. confirmedas of 2026-05-29

    5. [5]

      The FY2025 and FY2026 CoC funding notices shifted priorities toward treatment and recovery and required participation in services, made less money available to renew existing grants (mostly permanent housing), and prioritized new transitional housing and supportive services projects. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    6. [6]

      The Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) helps low-income families, older people, veterans and people with disabilities rent in the private market, with a subsidy paid directly to the landlord; about 2,000 local public housing agencies run it with HUD funding. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    7. [7]

      About 970,000 households live in public housing managed by some 3,300 local housing agencies, which use federal aid from HUD to house low-income residents at rents they can afford. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

      • Public Housing · U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (retrieved 2026-10-11)
      • Public Housing · U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (retrieved 2026-10-11)
    8. [8]

      HUD is not a direct homeless service provider; it directs people who need shelter to dial 2-1-1 and press 6 for homeless services, and veterans to the VA's 24/7 line at 1-877-424-3838. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

      • Helping Americans · U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (retrieved 2026-10-11)
      • Helping Americans · U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (retrieved 2026-10-11)
      • Helping Americans · U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (retrieved 2026-10-11)
    9. [9]

      The President's FY2027 budget, submitted April 3, 2026, proposes cutting Homeless Assistance Grants by $393 million (9%), eliminating the CoC program and consolidating homeless assistance under the Emergency Solutions Grants program. confirmedas of 2026-04-30

    10. [10]

      The FY2027 request would eliminate programs that received about $9.1 billion in FY2026, including the Community Development Fund (CDBG) and HOME, while proposing increases for the Public Housing Fund and tenant-based rental assistance. confirmedas of 2026-04-30

    11. [11]

      HUD's Continuum of Care (CoC) program is the largest federal funding source specifically targeted to people experiencing homelessness; in FY2024, 62% of its funding went to permanent supportive housing and 20% to rapid rehousing. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    12. [12]

      HUD's 2025 point-in-time count found 745,652 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2025, of whom 479,332 were sheltered and 266,320 unsheltered. confirmedas of 2026-05-29

    13. [13]

      HUD released the 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, Part 1 (point-in-time estimates), on May 29, 2026. confirmedas of 2026-05-29

    14. [14]

      The FY2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, enacted February 3, 2026, directed HUD to renew expiring FY2025 CoC grants noncompetitively and required HUD to fund at least 60% of each applicant's renewal demand in future selections. confirmedas of 2026-09-18

    15. [15]

      A lawsuit challenging the FY2026 notice was filed on July 2, 2026; on August 7 the district court vacated the notice under the Administrative Procedure Act, and on September 16 a First Circuit panel stayed that order pending appeal, letting the competition proceed. confirmedas of 2026-09-18

    16. [16]

      CRS reports that the entire staff of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness was reportedly put on administrative leave, and that HUD Secretary Scott Turner confirmed a staffing reduction of about 2,300 of roughly 8,000 HUD employees. reportedas of 2026-09-25

    17. [17]

      In March 2026, HUD proposed a rule letting certain housing agencies and owners set work requirements and time limits in public housing, vouchers and project-based assistance; time limits could not be shorter than two years and would apply only to non-elderly, non-disabled families. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    18. [18]

      Executive Order 14394 (March 2026) directed agencies to reduce regulatory barriers to new home construction, particularly single-family homes; in May 2026 HUD published best practices on construction costs, land availability and build times. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    19. [19]

      The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (P.L. 119-101) became law without the President's signature on July 11, 2026, after passing both chambers with bipartisan support, including 85-5 in the Senate. confirmedas of 2026-09-17

    20. [20]

      The law authorizes new grant programs but does not fund them; implementation depends on future appropriations and rulemaking. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    21. [21]

      HUD describes LIHTC as the most important resource for creating affordable housing in the US and maintains a public database of LIHTC properties. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

      • LIHTC Database · HUD User (HUD Office of Policy Development and Research) (retrieved 2026-10-11)
      • LIHTC Database · HUD User (HUD Office of Policy Development and Research) (retrieved 2026-10-11)
    22. [22]

      Under vouchers, the tenant's share is usually 30% of adjusted monthly income but can be as high as 40%; the agency pays the landlord the difference between its payment standard and the tenant's share. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Dec 15, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "HUD: US Department of Housing and Urban Development." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/hud

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