What does HUD stand for? In news stories, rental notices and mortgage papers, it stands for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the federal cabinet department that handles national housing policy. In video games, cars and aircraft, the same three letters mean heads-up display, the layer of numbers and icons that sits on top of what you are looking at.
Context almost always settles it. If the sentence mentions rent, vouchers, fair housing or a home loan, think of the government agency. If it mentions a health bar, a minimap or speed shown on a windshield, think of the display.
Quick facts
Stands for
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentOther meaning
Heads-up display (video games, cars, aircraft)Type
Acronym, usually said as one wordHow to say it
"HUD," rhymes with mud; some say H U DStarted
The department was created in 1965Related terms
FHA, Section 8, fair housing, public housing
HUD stands for two very different things
The letters have two common meanings, and they rarely overlap.
| Field | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Government and housing | Department of Housing and Urban Development | "The building gets HUD funding for senior apartments." |
| Video games | Heads-up display | "Turn off the HUD for cleaner screenshots." |
| Cars and aviation | Heads-up display | "The HUD shows my speed on the windshield." |
The government meaning drives most searches in the United States, so this page covers it first. The gaming meaning gets its own section further down.
What the housing department actually does
HUD is one of the executive departments in the president's cabinet, led by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. It was created in 1965. Its work falls into a few broad areas:
- Rental help for low income households. HUD funds the Housing Choice Voucher program, often called Section 8, and public housing. Local public housing agencies run these programs day to day.
- Fair housing. HUD enforces the federal Fair Housing Act, which bars discrimination in renting, selling and lending based on protected traits such as race, religion, sex, disability and family status.
- Home loans. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is part of HUD. It insures certain mortgages so lenders can offer loans with smaller down payments.
- Community grants. Cities and counties receive HUD grants for housing repair, homeless services and neighborhood projects.
HUD does not usually hand out keys or approve tenants itself. When people say "I applied for HUD," they usually mean they applied through a local housing authority for a program HUD pays for.
HUD in everyday phrases
A few common phrases use the letters as shorthand:
- HUD housing: apartments or homes that receive federal housing money, including public housing and buildings that take vouchers.
- HUD home: a house the agency took over after an FHA insured loan went into foreclosure and now offers for sale.
- HUD approved housing counselor: a counselor at an agency HUD has approved to give advice on buying, renting, credit or avoiding foreclosure.
- HUD-1: an older settlement statement used at real estate closings. For most home loans it has been replaced by a newer closing form, though you may still see it on some deals.
On an apartment listing: "Section 8 welcome. HUD inspection passed." This tells voucher holders the landlord accepts their voucher and the unit has passed the required inspection.
What does HUD stand for in video games?
In gaming, HUD stands for heads-up display. It is everything drawn over the game world to keep you informed: health, ammo, a map, a score, a timer, quest markers. Players talk about a "clean HUD" when the screen has very little clutter and a "HUD mod" when they swap in a custom layout.
The term comes from aviation. Fighter pilots needed key flight data projected onto glass in front of them, so they could read it with their heads up instead of looking down at the gauges. Many newer cars now offer a similar display that shows speed or directions near the bottom of the windshield.
In a game's settings menu: "HUD opacity: 60 percent." Lowering it makes the on screen icons more see through, so more of the scene shows.
Saying and writing HUD
Most people say HUD as one syllable, rhyming with mud, so it works as an acronym in speech. You will also hear "H U D" spelled out, especially from people new to it. Both are understood. For more on that split, see what is an acronym.
In print it takes all capital letters and no dots. Since the spoken word opens on an H sound, pair it with "a": "a HUD program," "a HUD in the car." In formal writing, give the full department name the first time and then switch to HUD.
Look-alikes and mix-ups
- HUD vs FHA: FHA is an office inside HUD. An FHA loan is a HUD insured mortgage, but not every HUD program involves a loan.
- HUD vs public housing authority: the federal department sets rules and sends money; your local housing authority takes applications and runs waiting lists.
- HUD vs HOA: an HOA is a homeowners association, a private group in a neighborhood or condo building. It is unrelated to the federal department.
- HUD vs UI: in game design, the HUD is one part of the wider user interface, which also includes menus and inventory screens.
You can find other federal agency letters on our government acronyms page.
Questions people ask
Is HUD the same as Section 8?
Not exactly. Section 8 is the common name for the Housing Choice Voucher program, which HUD funds. Local public housing agencies hand out the vouchers and manage the waiting lists.
How do you pronounce HUD?
The usual way is a single syllable, "HUD," rhyming with mud. Spelling it out as H U D is also common and perfectly clear.
What does HUD mean in a game?
It means heads-up display, the information shown on top of the action, such as health, ammo, a map or a score. Many games let you resize, move or hide parts of it.
When was HUD created?
HUD, the housing department, was created in 1965 as a cabinet level department of the federal government.
What is a HUD home?
It is a house the agency acquired after a loan it insured went into foreclosure. HUD then offers these homes for sale, usually through approved real estate brokers.