The purpose of the agency shall be to establish a better focusing of all available federal, state, local, and private resources upon this goal:

To enable low-income families and individuals of all ages to obtain the skill, the knowledge, and the motivation to secure the opportunities needed for them to become fully self-sufficient.

Among the purposes of the agency is the provision of decent housing that is affordable to low-income and moderate-income persons.

Other agency commitments include: The development of stable funding sources; creating increased community knowledge of and support for agency efforts; the sponsorship of quality programs and quality administration; innovation in program design, operation, and administration.