HUD Americas Slumlord

It is one of the lowlights in the history of American government, an agency that almost immediately ran into problems and has since bounced from scandal to tragedy to the verge of bankruptcy. The Office of Housing and Urban Development was created to provide "affordable, short-term housing" for low-income families. Instead, the government now oversees a nationwide network of decrepit buildings where tenants live in a virtual prison of fear, crime and violence. Trace the troubled history of this mismanaged nightmare to see how HUD spiraled out of control. In a revealing interview, HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros details the awesome problems he faces, from dilapidated buildings to the lack of public support for the troubled system. Meet residents of HUD housing units nationwide, and go inside some of the worst projects in America to see the undeniable evidence of the abject failure of HUD. And housing experts and activists debate whether HUD can or should be saved.

• documentary