The Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) seeks to develop viable communities by promoting integrated approaches that provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities for low and moderate income persons. The primary means towards this end is the development of partnerships among all levels of government and the private sector, including for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Consistent with these objectives, the Office of Community Planning and Development has developed a set of underlying principles that are used in carrying out its mission.

1. Community building begins with job creation, employment, and creation of safe, decent and affordable housing.
   
   
2. Planning and execution of community development initiatives must be bottom up and community driven.
   
   
3. Complex problems require coordinated, comprehensive, and sustainable solutions.
   
   
4. Government must be streamlined to be made more efficient and effective.
   
   
5. Citizen participation in Federal, State, and local government can be increased through communication and better access to information.

CPD seeks to encourage empowerment of local residents by helping to give them a voice in the future of their neighborhoods; stimulate the creation of community based organizations; and enhance the management skills of existing organizations so they can achieve greater production capacity. Housing and community development are not viewed as separate programs, but rather as among the myriad elements that make up a comprehensive vision of community development. These groups are at the heart of a bottom-up housing and community development strategy.

Content current as of 19 July 2012