The devastating effects of lead poisoning are irreversible, and even low levels of lead in a young child’s blood can have long-term effects on their ability to learn and lead a productive life. To prevent these life-long effects and strengthen protections for families living in HUD-assisted housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today announced The Lead-Safe Homes, Lead-Free Kids Toolkit

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) and The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) convene in San Antonio this week to host a joint annual educational conference, The State of Big Ideas: Moving Environmental Health Outside the Box. HUD Secretary Julián Castro will kick off the conference as the opening session keynote speaker.

The Obama Administration today named the final nine Promise Zones across the country – high poverty areas in select urban, rural and tribal communities. Through the Promise Zone Initiative, the Federal government will work strategically with local leaders to boost economic activity and job growth, improve educational opportunities, reduce crime and leverage private investment to improve the quality of life in these vulnerable areas

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced an agreement with First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, resolving allegations that the bank denied mortgage loans to African American, Latino and Asian American mortgage applicants at a disproportionately higher rate than white applicants.

Most Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, exposing them to home health and safety hazards ranging from asthma triggers to potentially deadly pollutants like asbestos and lead-based paint.  To reinforce the connection between a family’s health and their homes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is declaring this June as the first-ever National Healthy Homes Month.  Launched by HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH), this month is designed to educate families of potential health hazards in a home, and empower them to create the healthiest home possible for their family

To help end veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are awarding nearly $38 million to help more than 5,200 homeless veterans find a permanent place to call home. The rental assistance announced today is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today named 12 persons who will constitute the first-ever Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee (HCFAC). Established under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, this advisory panel will help HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling improve upon all the efforts to provide consumers with the knowledge they need to make informed and lasting housing decisions.

This week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) kicks off National Homeownership Month by recognizing how homeownership enhances lives and contributes to thriving communities we call home. “Dare to Own the Dream” is the theme of this month-long recognition, reinforcing the long-held belief that owning a home remains one of the cornerstones of the American Dream

After three years of negotiation with federally and state recognized tribes across the country, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today proposed a new formula to be used to allocate funds through the Department’s Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) Program. Read HUD’s proposed rule.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced agreements with the City of Minneapolis and the City of St. Paul to further housing choice and neighborhood opportunities in the two cities and the surrounding region.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today proposed a new rule to strengthen itsHome Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Program. In addition to formalizing many of the structural improvements announced recently, FHA’s proposed rule is intended to make certain FHA-insured reverse mortgages remain a viable and sustainable resource for senior homeowners hoping to remain in their homes and age in place. Read FHA’s proposed rule.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for April 2016. Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,116,000. This is 3.6 percent (±1.3%) above the revised March rate of 1,077,000, but is 5.3 percent (±1.3%) below the April 2015 estimate of Single-family authorizations in April were at a rate of 736,000; this is 1.5 percent (±0.8%) above the revised March figure of 725,000. 

In an effort to extend affordable internet access to children and families living in federally assisted housing, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today proposed a rule to require the installation of broadband infrastructure into most HUD-financed multifamily housing developments during their construction or substantial rehabilitation. Read HUD’s proposed rule, “Narrowing the Digital Divide Through Installation of Broadband Infrastructure in HUD-Funded New Construction and Substantial Rehabilitation of Multifamily Rental Housing.”

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro today named Jim Reed to serve as HUD’s New England Regional Administrator.  As the former Executive Director for the Housing Authority of the City of Newport, Rhode Island, Reed will manage HUD’s operations for a six-state region that includes Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced new tools to help consumers and the manufactured housing industry to resolve disputes involving the purchase and installation of manufactured housing. HUD’s Office of Manufactured Housing Programs (OMHP) is unveiling a new website and other education tools to help homeowners, manufacturers, retailers and installers to navigate the dispute resolution process in those states that do not have their own process.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it has won an important Fair Housing Act victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The decision upheld a Final Order of the Secretary of HUD following a trial before an administrative law judge that a condominium association discriminated against a resident with disabilities by refusing to allow him to keep an emotional support animal.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is charging a White Plains, New York, co-op with housing discrimination for refusing to grant an exception to its policies that would allow a person with disabilities to buy a unit there. HUD’s Office of Regional Counsel for New England, which has jurisdiction over the case, issued the Charge of Discrimination on April 26.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it is making $2 million available to support research to develop and improve methods for the identification and control of key residential health hazards.  Key hazards include issues such as pest infestation, poor indoor air quality, injury prevention, mold and excess moisture, and lead in drinking water.  It is especially important to protect vulnerable populations, such as children, seniors, and people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, from exposure to these hazards

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today unveiled a new mobile app to help educate the public about hidden home hazards that can impact the health of their families. TheHealthy Homes App is designed to raise awareness about potentially serious health and safety problems in the home and the steps consumers can take to protect themselves

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is making $37.3 million available to fight housing discrimination under HUD’s 2016 Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) Notice of Funding Availability(NOFA). This year’s three funding notices support a variety of important fair housing activities, including fair housing testing in the rental and sales market, public education efforts, capacity building, and education and outreach activities.