HUD’s First 30 Years: Big Steps Down a Longer RoadAbstractAssessing HUD’s 30-year contribution to housing and urban development is a daunting task. The Department inherently has multiple missions, and certainly over time it has had to meet many different expectations regarding focus and performance. My own perspective is that HUD’s basic goals of providing decent, affordable housing and suitable living environments for all Americans should include a central focus on service and increased opportunities for disadvantaged citizens, who are least likely to be able to meet their needs without public intervention. My viewing lens is further colored by my background as the son of a housing developer, a researcher and policy analyst, and a city official with responsibility for housing and community and economic development. For this article I chose to concentrate on a number of topics about HUD’s accomplishments related to my own primary interests and to my focus on disadvantaged people: housing assistance to the poor and local community development, viewed in part from a city as well as a national perspective; housing conservation and rehabilitation; neighborhood preservation; the role of nonprofit organizations; and the practice of local economic development. I realize I have left out a great deal.HUD’s First 30 Years: Big Steps Down a Longer Road (*.pdf, 135 KB)
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