HUD Secretary Scott Turner has announced a proposed rule aimed at closing a longstanding loophole that allows illegal aliens to benefit from taxpayer-funded public housing.
The measure, part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement efforts, seeks to ensure that only qualified American citizens and eligible noncitizens receive HUD assistance.
The rule change will target “mixed-status households,” where illegal aliens live with family members who qualify for subsidies.
Under current regulations, subsidies are prorated based on eligible members, but the new proposal would require proof of eligibility for each household member, effectively barring those without legal status.
Turner emphasized that this change would prioritize American taxpayers, telling Breitbart News:
“There is a decades-old loophole in our regulation right now called mixed-status household that we’re closing with our new proposed rule of qualified citizens, we will guarantee that the people that receive HUD-funded housing are American people.”
In a Washington Post op-ed published the day before the announcement, Turner highlighted the scale of the issue, noting that approximately 24,000 ineligible noncitizens currently reside in HUD-subsidized housing.
He described the policy as ending the “era of illegal aliens and other ineligible noncitizens exploiting public housing resources,” arguing that limited funding and long waitlists make it unfair for Americans to subsidize those here illegally.
The proposal revives a similar initiative from Trump’s first term and requires local housing authorities to report ineligible tenants to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Critics, including housing advocates, warn that it could lead to evictions for tens of thousands, including U.S. citizen children in mixed families, potentially causing family separations or homelessness.
Turner and supporters maintain it’s a necessary step to enforce existing laws under Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980.
In his Post op-ed, Turner explained:
HUD’s proposed rule enforcing Section 214 is part of our broader campaign to crack down on illegal and ineligible aliens siphoning public assistance from the American people. We terminated access to FHA-insured mortgages for individuals who do not meet lawful residency requirements. We announced a crime hotline for residents in HUD-funded housing to report illegal aliens and other criminals. And we have strengthened law-enforcement coordination with DHS to stop the flow of funds to illegals.
President Donald Trump promised welfare reform to restore common sense, and that is exactly what HUD is doing.
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