HUD deletes thousands of webpages in modernization effort

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has deleted thousands of webpages from its website in a modernization effort. 

The regulator said it sought feedback from shelter residents, who said it was difficult to find homebuying guidance, tenant rights and contact information for local HUD offices. The department, over months of work, reduced the number of HUD website pages from 2,500 to 100 and now presents streamlined sites for all U.S. states and territories. 

"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 in a press release Thursday. 

HUD said it looked to get rid of the former static wall of information its sites presented. The federal website was also optimized for mobile browsing, and incorporated trauma-informed design elements, which prioritizes inclusivity and accessibility. 

Industry players were at one time susceptible to lawsuits alleging their websites weren't in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, although site accessibility notices are ubiquitous on lender websites today. Mortgage tools like loan origination systems have also long come into compliance. 

HUD"s recent consumer-facing website upgrade is one of many modernization efforts government housing agencies have undertaken this year. 

HUD earlier this month received comments on a proposed standardization of loan application forms for manufactured home loans. The Federal Housing Finance Agency in October also rolled out a House Price Index for manufactured housing. 

Ginnie Mae has completed several upgrades, including rural housing statistics in mortgage-backed securities; custodian and servicer/subservicer identifiers in investor reporting; and mandates for manufactured housing loan securitizations.