The COVID-19 pandemic and other factors made it difficult to obtain good, affordable housing when President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris took office in January 2021. This increased the likelihood of homelessness and housing prices for families nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has made significant progress in eliminating housing discrimination, increasing rental assistance for thousands of Americans, reducing housing costs, and increasing the supply of affordable homes under the direction of Secretary Marcia L. Fudge and Agency Head Adrianne Todman.
Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris Administration has made significant housing investments that have strengthened American neighborhoods and supported families, all thanks to the diligent efforts of HUD personnel and the Department’s partners at other federal agencies and on the ground. This accomplishment, as HUD approaches its 60th year, is evidence of the Department’s programs and employees’ ability to create prosperous communities and pathways to economic opportunity.
“It has been my deepest honor to serve the American people at HUD, helping families secure affordable housing where they can grow and thrive and live with dignity,” said HUD Agency Head, the Honorable Adrianne Todman. “With steadfast leadership, HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration were able to make a real difference, even as we faced considerable headwinds in the housing market. During our time at HUD, we’ve ensured thousands more families can afford rent thanks to the record number of housing vouchers we funded—the most in 20 years. We helped almost 2 million struggling families stay in their homes during the pandemic and provided more opportunities for Americans to achieve the dream of homeownership and build generational wealth.”
Below are some highlights of the Administration’s historic housing agenda, where over the past four years, HUD has:
- Helped more than 2.3 million people buy their first home and served more than 1.2 million borrowers of color.
- Reduced mortgage insurance premiums, delivering real savings to American homebuyers and helping more families attain the dream of homeownership through FHA-insured financing. More than a million borrowers have now saved nearly $1,000 pear year because of this reduction from March 2023 through September 30, 2024.
- Helped nearly 2 million homeowners stay in their homes during the pandemic and partnered with the U.S. Treasury Department to keep more than 8 million renters in their homes.
- Built or repaired over 500,000 affordable housing units.
- Drove near-record construction, with 1.7 million new housing units built in 2022.
- Taken on needless barriers to housing production and preservation, including by awarding $185 million in PRO Housing funding to support the efforts of communities who have committed to housing-forward policies and practices.
- Implemented the most significant update to Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (the HUD Code) in over 30 years. Over the last four years, HUD ensured safe and affordable production of approximately 360,000 manufactured homes that adhere to the updated HUD Code.
- Issued over 120,000 new housing vouchers in the past four years, the largest expansion of rental assistance 20 years. The HCV program serves more than 5 million people in 2.5 million households last year.
- Allocated $105 billion in rental assistance to over 2,100 public housing agencies through the Housing Choice Voucher Program since 2021 to 2,118 Public Housing Agencies from 2021-present.
- Successfully delivered more than $1.4 billion in record time through the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, to modernize over 30,000 affordable homes across 42 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, making them greener, healthier, and safer.
- Permanently housed or served more than 1.2 million people experiencing homelessness.
- Served almost 90,000 veterans through the VASH program. This is the most veterans served at any point in the program’s history.
- Since 2023, HUD has awarded or made available over $77 million in funds to prevent homelessness among youth aging out of the foster care system.
- Awarded the largest amount of annual federal funding provided through HUD’s Continuum of Care program in history—some $3.16 billion to over 7,000 projects, expanding housing and services projects for people experiencing homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault. In January 2025, HUD expects to deliver a even-larger funding package: more than $3.5 billion to expand programs for people experiencing homelessness.
- Awarded $5 billion in funding through HOME-ARP to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability across the country.
- Invested nearly $5 billion in Tribal communities through targeted housing and community development programs, including the Indian Housing Block Grant, Indian Community Development Block Grant, and Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant.
- Took action to address racial bias in homeownership through the first-of-its-kind Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) Task Force, including with new updated FHA Reconsideration of Value policies that that enable borrowers to request a re-assessment of the appraised value of their property if they believe their appraisal was inaccurate or biased. Collectively, these actions contributed to a 40% reduction in the home appraisal gap since the Biden-Harris Administration took action.
- Secured a clean audit opinion for five consecutive years, underscoring its unwavering commitment to financial transparency, accountability, and the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
- Modernized all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia on HUD.gov, reducing pages from 2,500 to 100, featuring a streamlined, trauma-informed design that enhances accessibility to vital resources like affordable housing services, disaster recovery assistance, and homeownership support, empowering communities nationwide.
“I want to thank the dedicated public servants at HUD and our community partners who have worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people to ensure we have a housing system that works for all families,” said Todman.
To read more, including more details and awards, click here.
