Keeping HUD’s Learning Agenda Relevant

Jennifer C. Turnham, Director of the Policy Development Division.

In March 2022, HUD published its first Learning Agenda: 2022-2026, meeting the requirements of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (“Evidence Act”) of 2018 to publish plans for identifying and addressing important policy priorities. The Learning Agenda replaces the Research Roadmap, which has served as HUD’s research plan since 2014. The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) plays a key role in coordinating the development of the Learning Agenda, which includes extensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders to identify the highest priorities for research, evaluation, and data collection over the next 5 years.

An important component of the Learning Agenda is a periodic review and update process to reflect changes in learning priorities since the publication of the 5-year plan. Because the Learning Agenda guides HUD’s congressional funding requests for research projects and data investments, it must stay up to date and reflect current priorities. Over the past 3 months, PD&R has been meeting with HUD staff and leadership to identify and discuss new research and data priorities not included in the published Learning Agenda that reflect emerging or unanticipated needs relevant to advancing HUD’s mission and strategic plan.

To solicit input from external partners and from the general public, HUD published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register in February 2023. We encourage all interested parties to submit ideas for new learning priorities or changes to existing learning priorities that HUD should consider as it reviews and updates the Learning Agenda. Comments are due April 10, 2023. I hope that you will take a minute to review the Learning Agenda and respond to the RFI. You can also send questions, comments, or suggestions on HUD’s research, evaluation, and evidence-building activities to the Learning Agenda team at HUDLearningAgenda@huduser.gov.