The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a cabinet department in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government. The U.S. Congress established the department in 1965 to develop and execute housing policies.
From the creation of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) in 1974 until 2011, HUD administered and enforced RESPA, making it the real estate, mortgage, title, and settlement services industries’ chief federal regulator. That responsibility was transferred to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act.