The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has completed a significant project to update its webpages for all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia on HUD.gov. The redesigned pages feature a streamlined design with trauma-informed elements, aiming to improve access to essential resources such as affordable housing services, homeownership support, housing counseling, and disaster recovery assistance.
HUD reduced the number of pages from 2,500 to approximately 100 after months of collaborative work and feedback from potential users. This effort focused on enhancing user experience and accessibility.
“To inclusively serve our communities, we must reach people where they are at by making HUD resources as easily available as possible,” said HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman. “These updates to HUD’s state webpages are a big milestone in our mission to create accessible, responsive, and trauma-informed digital services to ensure our most vulnerable communities are seen and heard and have access to the help they seek.”
The redesign aimed to transform the webpages into a user-friendly format that improves navigation. The project was a joint effort between HUD’s Public Affairs and Field Policy and Management offices. By integrating communications with technology expertise, HUD ensured the redesign met community needs effectively.
"Staying up to date with technology, user experience, and online accessibility is essential for ensuring that the people we serve across the country have seamless access to the information and resources they need,” said Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Natalia Vanegas. “By prioritizing these efforts, we can empower individuals and communities to make informed decisions and find the support they seek when they need it most."
Feedback sessions conducted at the Salvation Army Center for Hope revealed barriers users faced with previous webpages. Insights from these sessions highlighted difficulties in finding crucial information like local HUD office contacts, tenant rights, homebuying guidance, shelter locations, housing authority websites, among others. Incorporating trauma-informed design elements was emphasized for inclusivity.
The redesign removed thousands of unnecessary pages while focusing on user experience by reducing cognitive load. Navigation was simplified with features like a floating “Need More Help” button added on every page for easy assistance access. The design is now more responsive and optimized for mobile use.
Physical and emotional safety were prioritized by including content warnings and safe exit options guided by trauma-informed principles. Efforts were made to build trust through empathy-driven design while creating warm interfaces free from burdensome elements.
By incorporating feedback from residents served by HUD and collaborating with community partners extensively, these updates aim to provide better resource access for those in need. This modernization underscores HUD's commitment to making resources accessible while reflecting real-life user needs.
