The mission of the Office of Environment and Energy (OEE) is to advance and sustain environmental compliance in HUD-assisted projects and programs, foster environmental and cultural stewardship, and support the provision of decent, safe, and high-performing housing. OEE manages the environmental review process across HUD programs and supports energy-efficient, high performance buildings.
The Environmental Planning Division (EPD) is a headquarters team of subject matter experts to develop policy, standards, criteria, and guidelines for environmental review processes. The EPD develops innovative methods for environmental planning and assessment and provides technical assistance to HUD program offices and constituents.
An environmental review is the process of reviewing a project and its potential environmental impacts to determine whether it meets federal, state, and local environmental standards. OEE is responsible for oversight of the HUD’s compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) through the environmental review process required for all HUD-funded programs and projects.
- Visit the Environmental Review page
OEE supports HUD’s program offices and provides assistance to HUD program offices, partners and grant recipients to advance high-performance building policies and practices in Public Housing and HUD-assisted and HUD-insured multifamily housing. This includes promoting best practices in lowering water and energy costs, improving disaster resilience, and ensuring investments in existing affordable multifamily housing improve both energy performance and resident health and comfort.
- Visit the High-Performance Buildings page
On March 24th, HUD published a Proposed Rule in the Federal Register, which would better protect communities and taxpayer-funded investments from flooding. HUD is soliciting public comment on the proposed rule until May 23rd. This Rule would amend HUD’s existing floodplain regulations to require a greater level of flood protection for new construction and substantial rehabilitation projects. Building to this standard would increase the Nation’s resilience to flooding, reduce the risk of flood loss, and minimize the impact of floods on households across the country.
- Visit the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard page
OEE staff helps support the implementation of HUD’s Climate Action Plan through the Climate and Environmental Working Group. The Climate Action Plan is HUD’s ambitious plan to tackle the climate crisis will help communities across the nation build more resilient infrastructure, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create well-paid jobs, and pursue environmental justice for disproportionately impacted communities.
- Learn about the Climate Action Plan
HUD published the Preliminary Determination of Minimum Energy Standards for HUD and USDA Financed Housing in the Federal Register on May 18th and is soliciting public comments until August 7th. This Preliminary Determination addresses the Department’s proposal for the adoption of the latest energy codes, which would improve the performance and efficiency of new homes and help homeowners and renters save money.
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Visit the Minimum Energy Standards page
HUD strives to pursue the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of low-income, minority, Tribal and indigenous communities during the development, implementation and enforcement of HUD regulations and policies. The Department defines environmental justice (EJ) as “investing in environmental improvements, remedying past environmental inequities, and otherwise developing, implementing, and enforcing laws and policies in a manner that advances environmental equity and provides meaningful involvement for people and communities that have been environmentally underserved or overburdened, such as Black and Brown communities, indigenous groups, and individuals with disabilities”. HUD’s leadership is committed to creating strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities, which is intrinsic to HUD’s mission and the concept of EJ at the Department.
- Visit the Environmental Justice page
Content current as of July 2, 2024.