The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has ordered all public housing authorities across the country to verify the citizenship and eligibility of tenants in HUD-funded housing. This comes after a joint audit with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that identified widespread discrepancies in tenant records.
The audit uncovered nearly 200,000 tenants needing eligibility verification, including approximately 25,000 deceased tenants and nearly 6,000 ineligible non-citizens. These findings have raised concerns about the potential misuse of taxpayer funds.
In response, HUD has given Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and property owners 30 days to take corrective action. Those who fail to comply could face sanctions, including a reduction in funding or the recapture of improperly allocated payments. “We will leave no stone unturned,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner remarked, emphasizing the department’s commitment to addressing the issue.
HUD Assistant Secretary Ben Hobbs explained that the action to verify immigration eligibility is a significant step to “ensure we put American families first and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.” He also stressed that it is crucial to “prioritize our limited resources to eligible families only.”
This directive follows previous guidance reminding housing authorities of their legal obligations under Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 and President Trump’s Executive Order 14218, which require citizenship verification prior to granting access to HUD-assisted housing.
