The Ministry of Housing, City and Territory was created through article 14 of Law 1444 of 2011, with split objectives and functions of the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, as head of the Administrative Sector of Housing, City and Territory. In accordance with the provisions of Decree 3571 of 2011, its primary objective is to achieve, within the framework of the law and its powers, to formulate, adopt, direct, coordinate and execute public policy, plans and projects in the area of ​​territorial development and urban planning of the country, the consolidation of the city system, with patterns of efficient and sustainable land use, taking into account the conditions of access and financing of housing, and the provision of public services of drinking water and basic sanitation.

In addition to the functions defined in the Political Constitution, in article 59 of Law 489 of 1998 and in other laws, the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory will fulfill the following functions:

1. Formulate, direct and coordinate policies, plans, programs and regulations regarding housing and housing financing, urban development, land use and land use within the framework of its competences, drinking water and basic sanitation, as well as the normative instruments for its implementation.
2. Formulate policies on urban renewal, comprehensive improvement of neighborhoods, quality of housing, urban planning and construction of sustainable housing, public space and equipment.
3. Adopt the necessary administrative instruments to monitor public and private entities in charge of housing production.
4. Determine the mechanisms and instruments necessary to guide urban and territorial development processes at the national, regional and local levels, applying the guiding principles of land use planning.
5. Formulate, in coordination with the entities and competent organisms, the policy of the Urban System of Cities and establish the guidelines of the urbanization process.
6. Prepare, jointly with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and other competent entities, studies and establish determinants and technical guidelines on population to be incorporated into planning, ordering and territorial development processes.
7. Promote comprehensive urban operations that guarantee the development of developable land.
8. Define schemes for the financing of subsidies in the domiciliary public services of aqueduct, sewerage and cleaning, linking the resources established by current regulations.
9. Design and promote special programs for drinking water and basic sanitation for the rural sector, in coordination with the competent entities of the national and territorial order.
10. Perform the monitoring of the resources of the General Participation System -SGP for drinking water and basic sanitation, and coordinate with the Superintendency of Home Public Services its harmonization with the certification process of districts and municipalities.
11. Define feasibility and eligibility criteria for aqueduct, sewerage and cleaning projects and make them feasible.
12. Contract the monitoring of the aqueduct, sewerage and cleaning projects that have the financial support of the Nation.
13. Define the technical requirements that must be met by the works, equipment and procedures used by companies, when the Commission for the Regulation of Drinking Water and Basic Sanitation has generally resolved that this indication is necessary to guarantee the quality of the service and that it does not imply restriction undue to competition.
14. Articulate housing policies and housing financing with those of drinking water and basic sanitation and, in turn, harmonize them with policies on the environment, infrastructure, mobility, health and rural development.
15. Prepare, in coordination with the National Planning Department, the sectoral policy proposals to be submitted to consideration, discussion and approval of the National Council for Economic and Social Policy CONPES.
16. Provide technical assistance to territorial entities, environmental authorities and home public service providers, within the framework of the sector's powers.
17. Promote and guide the incorporation of the risk management component in the sector's policies, programs and projects, in coordination with the entities that are part of the National System for Disaster Prevention and Attention.
18. Define the information management policies of the Administrative Sector of Housing, City and Territory.
19. Guide and direct, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, international negotiations and international cooperation processes, in the areas of housing and housing financing, urban and territorial development, drinking water and basic sanitation.
20. Support, within its competence, associative processes between territorial entities on issues related to housing, urban and territorial development, drinking water and basic sanitation.
21. The other functions assigned by the Constitution and the Law.