(a) Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, and General Counsel

(1) There shall be in the Department a Deputy Secretary, 7 Assistant Secretaries, and a General Counsel, who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall perform such functions, powers, and duties as the Secretary shall prescribe from time to time.

(2) There shall be in the Department an Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, who shall be appointed by the President and shall perform such functions, powers, and duties as the Secretary shall prescribe from time to time.

(b) Federal Housing Commissioner

There shall be in the Department a Federal Housing Commissioner, who shall be one of the Assistant Secretaries, who shall head a Federal Housing Administration within the Department, who shall have such duties and powers as may be prescribed by the Secretary, and who shall administer, under the supervision and direction of the Secretary, departmental programs relating to the private mortgage market. The Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that managers of Federal Housing Administration programs, at each level of the Department, shall be accountable for program operation, risk management, management of cash and other Federal assets, and program financing related to activities over which such managers have responsibility.

(c) Director of Urban Program Coordination; designation; powers and duties; studies of urban and community problems and recommendations for administration of Federal programs affecting such problems

There shall be in the Department a Director of Urban Program Coordination, who shall be designated by the Secretary. He shall assist the Secretary in carrying out his responsibilities to the President with respect to achieving maximum coordination of the programs of the various departments and agencies of the Government which have a major impact on community development. In providing such assistance, the Director shall make such studies of urban and community problems as the Secretary shall request, and shall develop recommendations relating to the administration of Federal programs affecting such problems, particularly with respect to achieving effective cooperation among the Federal, State, and local agencies concerned. Subject to the direction of the Secretary, the Director shall, in carrying out his responsibilities, (1) establish and maintain close liaison with the Federal departments and agencies concerned and (2) consult with State, local, and regional officials, and consider their recommendations with respect to such programs.

(d) Assistant to Secretary; designation; duty to provide information and advice to nonprofit project sponsors

There shall be in the Department an Assistant to the Secretary, designated by the Secretary, who shall be responsible for providing information and advice to nonprofit organizations desiring to sponsor housing projects assisted under programs administered by the Department.

(e) Special Assistant for Indian and Alaska Native Programs; report to Congress

(1)(A) There shall be in the Department a Special Assistant for Indian and Alaska Native Programs, who shall be located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. The Special Assistant for Indian and Alaska Native Programs shall be designated by the Secretary not later than 60 days after October 12, 1977.

(B) The Special Assistant for Indian and Alaska Native Programs shall be appointed based solely on merit and shall be covered under the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service.

(C) The Special Assistant for Indian and Alaska Native Programs shall be responsible for—

(i) administering, in coordination with the relevant office in the Department, the provision of housing assistance to Indian tribes or Indian housing authorities under each program of the Department that provides for such assistance;

(ii) administering the community development block grant program for Indian tribes under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 [42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.] and the provision of assistance to Indian tribes under such Act;

(iii) directing, coordinating, and assisting in managing any regional offices of the Department that administer Indian programs to the extent of such programs; and

(iv) coordinating all programs of the Department relating to Indian and Alaska Native housing and community development.

(D) The Secretary shall include in the annual report under section 3536 of this title a description of the extent of the housing needs for Indian families and community development needs of Indian tribes in the United States and the activities of the Department, and extent of such activities, in meeting such needs.

(2) The Secretary shall, not later than December 1 of each year, submit to Congress an annual report which shall include—

(A) a description of his actions during the current year and a projection of his activities during the succeeding years;

(B) estimates of the cost of the projected activities for succeeding fiscal years;

(C) a statistical report on the conditions of Indian and Alaska Native housing; and

(D) recommendations for such legislative, administrative, and other actions, as he deems appropriate.

(f) Federal Housing Administration Comptroller

There shall be in the Department a Federal Housing Administration Comptroller, designated by the Secretary, who shall be responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the Federal Housing Administration.

(g) Office of Housing Counseling

(1) Establishment

There is established, in the Department, the Office of Housing Counseling.

(2) Director

There is established the position of Director of Housing Counseling. The Director shall be the head of the Office of Housing Counseling and shall be appointed by, and shall report to, the Secretary. Such position shall be a career-reserved position in the Senior Executive Service.

(3) Functions

(A) In general

The Director shall have primary responsibility within the Department for all activities and matters relating to homeownership counseling and rental housing counseling, including—

(i) research, grant administration, public outreach, and policy development relating to such counseling; and

(ii) establishment, coordination, and administration of all regulations, requirements, standards, and performance measures under programs and laws administered by the Department that relate to housing counseling, homeownership counseling (including maintenance of homes), mortgage-related counseling (including home equity conversion mortgages and credit protection options to avoid foreclosure), and rental housing counseling, including the requirements, standards, and performance measures relating to housing counseling.

(B) Specific functions

The Director shall carry out the functions assigned to the Director and the Office under this section and any other provisions of law. Such functions shall include establishing rules necessary for—

(i) the counseling procedures under section 1701x(g)(1) of title 12;

(ii) carrying out all other functions of the Secretary under section 1701x(g) of title 12, including the establishment, operation, and publication of the availability of the toll-free telephone number under paragraph (2) of such section;

(iii) contributing to the distribution of home buying information booklets pursuant to section 2604 of title 12;

(iv) carrying out the certification program under section 1701x(e) of title 12;

(v) carrying out the assistance program under section 1701x(a)(4) of title 12, including criteria for selection of applications to receive assistance;

(vi) carrying out any functions regarding abusive, deceptive, or unscrupulous lending practices relating to residential mortgage loans that the Secretary considers appropriate, which shall include conducting the study under section 6 ¹ of the Expand and Preserve Home Ownership Through Counseling Act;

(vii) providing for operation of the advisory committee established under paragraph (4) of this subsection;

(viii) collaborating with community-based organizations with expertise in the field of housing counseling; and

(ix) providing for the building of capacity to provide housing counseling services in areas that lack sufficient services, including underdeveloped areas that lack basic water and sewer systems, electricity services, and safe, sanitary housing.

(4) Advisory committee

(A) In general

The Secretary shall appoint an advisory committee to provide advice regarding the carrying out of the functions of the Director.

(B) Members

Such advisory committee shall consist of not more than 12 individuals, and the membership of the committee shall equally represent the mortgage and real estate industry, including consumers and housing counseling agencies certified by the Secretary.

(C) Terms

Except as provided in subparagraph (D), each member of the advisory committee shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. Members may be reappointed at the discretion of the Secretary.

(D) Terms of initial appointees

As designated by the Secretary at the time of appointment, of the members first appointed to the advisory committee, 4 shall be appointed for a term of 1 year and 4 shall be appointed for a term of 2 years.

(E) Prohibition of pay; travel expenses

Members of the advisory committee shall serve without pay, but shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5.

(F) Advisory role only

The advisory committee shall have no role in reviewing or awarding housing counseling grants.

(5) Scope of homeownership counseling

In carrying out the responsibilities of the Director, the Director shall ensure that homeownership counseling provided by, in connection with, or pursuant to any function, activity, or program of the Department addresses the entire process of homeownership, including the decision to purchase a home, the selection and purchase of a home, issues arising during or affecting the period of ownership of a home (including refinancing, default and foreclosure, and other financial decisions), and the sale or other disposition of a home.

(h) Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs

(1) Position

There shall be in the Office of the Secretary a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs, who shall report directly to the Secretary.

(2) Appointment

The Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs shall be appointed based solely on merit and shall be covered under the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service.

(3) Responsibilities

The Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs shall be responsible for—

(A) ensuring veterans have fair access to housing and homeless assistance under each program of the Department providing either such assistance;

(B) coordinating all programs and activities of the Department relating to veterans;

(C) serving as a liaison for the Department with the Department of Veterans Affairs, including establishing and maintaining relationships with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(D) serving as a liaison for the Department, and establishing and maintaining relationships with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and officials of State, local, regional, and nongovernmental organizations concerned with veterans;

(E) providing information and advice regarding—

(i) sponsoring housing projects for veterans assisted under programs administered by the Department; or

(ii) assisting veterans in obtaining housing or homeless assistance under programs administered by the Department;

(F) coordinating with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in carrying out section 404 of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016;

(G) collaborating with the Department of Veterans Affairs on making joint recommendations to the Congress, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on how to better coordinate and improve services to veterans under both Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Veteran Affairs veterans housing programs, including ways to improve the Independent Living Program of the Department of Veteran Affairs; and

(H) carrying out such other duties as may be assigned to the Special Assistant by the Secretary or by law.