The General Services Administration was created in 1949 by consolidating several federal property and procurement functions into one agency. It manages more than 8,000 government-owned and leased buildings and provides shared services in IT, procurement, and fleet management. GSA serves as the federal government's landlord, including for federal courthouses. Critics argue GSA's centralized model has created chronic underfunding of courthouse maintenance. The federal judiciary asked Congress in February 2026 for direct property management authority to bypass GSA.