There is hereby established at the seat of government an executive department to be known as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (hereinafter referred to as the “Department”). There shall be at the head of the Department a Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretary”), who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Department shall be administered under the supervision and direction of the Secretary.

The Secretary shall, among his responsibilities, advise the President with respect to Federal programs and activities relating to housing and urban development; develop and recommend to the President policies for fostering the orderly growth and development of the Nation’s urban areas; exercise leadership at the direction of the President in coordinating Federal activities affecting housing and urban development; provide technical assistance and information, including a clearinghouse service to aid State, county, town, village, or other local governments in developing solutions to community and metropolitan development problems; consult and cooperate with State Governors and State agencies, including, when appropriate, holding informal public hearings, with respect to Federal and State programs for assisting communities in developing solutions to community and metropolitan development problems and for encouraging effective regional cooperation in the planning and conduct of community and metropolitan development programs and projects; encourage comprehensive planning by the State aud [1] local governments with a view to coordinating Federal, State, and local urban and community development activities; encourage private enterprise to serve as large a part of the Nation’s total housing and urban development needs as it can and develop the fullest cooperation with private enterprise in achieving the objectives of the Department; and conduct continuing comprehensive studies, and make available findings, with respect to the problems of housing and urban development.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to deny or limit the benefits of any program, function, or activity assigned to the Department by this chapter or any other Act to any community on the basis of its population or corporate status, except as may be expressly provided by law.

The Secretary shall—

(1) promote the coordination of all programs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary that are carried on within an enterprise zone designated pursuant to section 11501 of this title;

(2) expedite, to the greatest extent possible, the consideration of applications for programs referred to in paragraph (1) through the consolidation of forms or otherwise; and

(3) provide, whenever possible, for the consolidation of periodic reports required under programs referred to in paragraph (1) into one summary report submitted at such intervals as may be designated by the Secretary.

(Pub. L. 89–174, § 3, Sept. 9, 1965, 79 Stat. 667; Pub. L. 90–83, § 10(b), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 223; Pub. L. 100–242, title VII, § 705, Feb. 5, 1988, 101 Stat. 1963.)