ALERT!

HUD WILL SOLELY BE USING ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FOR ALL BUSINESS AND SERVICES.

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 14224 and subsequent Guidance by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) designating English as the official language of the United States, effective immediately the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will solely be using English as the official language for all Departmental business and services.

To best position HUD, our partners, and the people we serve around our shared American values, please instruct your teams that all HUD communications, correspondence, and physical and digital published materials will be produced exclusively in English and that we will no longer offer non-English translation services. Additionally, please immediately remove all printed or digital collateral about non-English translation services currently displayed in HUD offices or HUD-funded facilities. Printed or digital collateral not in English can be replaced with an English only version.

We are one people, united, and we will speak with one voice and one language to deliver on our mission of expanding housing that is affordable, helping those in need, caring for our most vulnerable Americans, and revitalizing rural, tribal, and urban communities.

Background

On March 1, 2025, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order No. 14224 which designates English as the official language of the United States of America.

On July 14, 2025, the Attorney General issued guidance to implement the president’s executive order and indicated that “...the Department of Justice [DOJ] will lead a coordinated effort to minimize non-essential multilingual services, redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation, and ensure compliance with legal obligations through targeted measures where necessary.” DOJ’s guidance outlines immediate compliance actions, recommended steps for agencies, and the legal framework supporting this shift.

Implementing the executive order aims to enhance social and economic integration, offer all Americans a vital pathway for civic engagement, and further bind Americans together around a shared language.

Immediate Impacts

To comply with Executive Order 14224 and subsequent Department of Justice guidance, HUD will cease non-English translation services. There are no longer contractor services to translate documents (e.g., applications, flyers, guidebooks, NOFOs, correspondence to HUD) and all physical and digital materials must be published, received, and processed exclusively in English.

All existing non-English content on hud.gov, HUD managed websites, and other digital assets will be removed and archived in compliance with the National Archives and Records Administration. All contracts solely based on English translation services will be reviewed and appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the law.

HUD will continue to provide communication services to the hearing and seeing impaired, and persons with related disabilities. Nothing in this memo should be construed as a departure from statutorily mandated requirements such as reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disability Act and related statutes, and expectations required by the Violence Against Women Act. Furthermore, HUD will continue to ensure that all persons have meaningful access to HUD programs and services.

Finally, any guidance or procedures based on Executive Order No. 13166 is non-enforceable and should be rescinded or amended to comply with Executive Order No. 14224 and DOJ guidance.

Next Steps

Implementation of this guidance is ongoing and iterative. The U.S. Department of Justice will collect input and recommendations from across the federal government, including HUD, about federally conducted programs and policies that may be legally implemented in an English-only format. From there DOJ will circulate and request comment from agencies that have written and issued internal language access plans to gather questions, challenges, and practical input, to ensure DOJ’s updated guidance is realistic, responsive, and reflective of actual operational needs. Within 180 days, DOJ will issue new guidance, open to public comment, that presents clear, practical guidelines that help agencies prioritize English while explaining precisely when and how multilingual assistance remains necessary to fulfill their respective agencies' missions and efficiently provide government services. DOJ will collect public comments on the guidance for 30 days and then review all comments to determine what modifications, if any, are necessary to the policy guidance.

Sincerely,

[Andrew D. Hughes' signature]

Andrew D. Hughes
Deputy Secretary
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

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