Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research funds and procures research, data, and technical assistance to support HUD policy development and evidence-based housing programs across federal, state, and local levels. The office operates within HUD's policy and research infrastructure, distinct from HUD's principal program-delivery and compliance divisions. The office executes work through both federal contracts and federal grants.

The office has awarded 282 federal contracts totaling $463.3 million in combined potential value since 1980, with $342.5 million obligated. Contract awards have declined in recent years: 21 awards in 2022, 23 in 2023, 18 in 2024, 7 in 2025, and 12 year-to-date in 2026. Competitive concentration among prime contractors is highly fragmented by award count, with Schatz Publishing Group, LLC leading over the last five years at 11 awards ($7.7 million combined potential value), followed by Summit Consulting LLC, World Services LLC, and Effort, LLC each holding 4 awards. By potential value, however, ABT Global LLC leads at $9 million across 2 awards, followed by Schatz Publishing Group, LLC at $7.7 million. The top five primes account for only 6% of combined potential value by value ranking, indicating a dispersed contractor base of 99 distinct primes. Seventy-eight percent of awards carry no set-aside designation; small-business awards account for 15% of the portfolio, with the remainder split among 8(a) sole-source (4%), competitive 8(a) (1%), Woman-Owned Small Business (1%), HUBZone (1%), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (1%).

The office has awarded 1,756 federal grants totaling $549.3 million in combined federal dollars obligated since 2000. Grant awards per year totaled 34 in 2022, 24 in 2023, 76 in 2024, 41 in 2025, and 7 year-to-date in 2026. Recipient concentration is fragmented: ICF Incorporated, L.L.C. leads by federal dollars at $38.3 million across 10 awards over the last five years, followed by ABT Global LLC at $24.4 million across 11 awards. The top five recipients account for 22% of recent awards by count but only 16% of federal dollars by value, indicating a moderately concentrated base of 511 distinct recipients. Project Grants comprise 89% of awards, with Cooperative Agreements representing 11%.

The most recent grant award closed on April 1, 2026; the most recent contract award was recorded on September 30, 2026.

The Office of Policy Development and Research provides the Department of Housing and Urban Development up-to-date information and analysis of housing and community development issues.