Introduction by Secretary Julian Castro:
A stable home serves as the foundation of our lives. It’s where we begin every morning and where we end every night. It’s where we raise our families and build our futures. It provides us with the security to look towards a brighter tomorrow, and the peace of mind to pursue our dreams. For 50 years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has helped millions of Americans secure a place to call home. HUD was born during a time of great change and challenge for our nation. The elevation of the Home and Housing Finance Agency into a Cabinet-level department was first proposed by the Kennedy Administration, but its realization as part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty was undeniably rooted in the events of the mid-sixties. While millions suffered from poverty and the legacy of segregation, suburban growth and a Great Migration of African-Americans were transforming our urban landscape. At the turn of the 20th century, 11 million Americans lived in cities. By 1965, that number had grown to 40 million. Years of organizing, boycotts, and peaceful protest had resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But realizing its equal-rights provisions required confronting ugly violence, often from government authorities, as the world saw during the Selma to Montgomery marches in March 1965. When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, he set a national goal to “make sure that every family in America lives in a home of dignity and a neighborhood of pride, a community of opportunity and a city of promise and hope.” Our Department has dedicated itself towards fulfilling this vision. Read more
