Ben Carson, potential budget cuts, and how federal housing policy works During the nascent Trump era, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First, President Trump?s puzzling choice to run the agency, neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate Ben Carson, was criticized by housing advocates for being unprepared for the position and under-informed about the role that this massive agency plays in the lives of many Americans. In addition, the new administration has just proposed a potentially massive $6 billion cut in the agency?s funding.
As a provider of public housing, a highly politicized topic that?s embroiled in preconceived notions and a legacy of segregation, HUD already deals in its fair share of controversial topics. But oftentimes, these issues obscure or distract from the agency?s true scope, mission, and impact. While HUD?s future is being discussed in Washington, here?s a primer on how the agency was formed and how it operates. When and how was HUD formed"
The Department of Housing and Urban Development was formed in 1965 as part of Lyndon B. Johnson?s Great Society program. Previous federal housing programs focused on loans and homeownership, such as the House and Home Financing Agency, but this new, cabinet-level agency was created specifically to focus on urban housing issues.
What is HUD?s mission"
The agency was originally tasked with providing ?a decent home and a suitable living e...