HUD Mandates Citizenship Verification Following Audit of Ineligible Tenants
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner discusses easing regulations to boost supply, exploring under-utilized federal land and responses to rent-freeze proposals.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has mandated that all public housing authorities and owners receiving department-funded housing verify tenant citizenship and eligibility. This directive comes after an audit conducted in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which flagged tens of thousands of deceased and ineligible tenants across the nation.
According to HUD, the audit revealed nearly 200,000 tenants requiring eligibility verification. This includes approximately 25,000 deceased tenants and nearly 6,000 ineligible non-American tenants within federally funded housing programs.
Under the new directive, public housing authorities and participating owners have 30 days to take corrective action or face potential sanctions.
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HUD Secretary Scott Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signed the “American Housing Programs for American Citizens” memorandum last year. (Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
HUD stated that the review was conducted in partnership with DHS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), utilizing the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system. The goal was to ensure compliance with existing federal law.
“We will leave no stone unturned,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner emphasized in a statement. “We are proud to collaborate with DHS to execute on the President’s agenda of rooting out abuse of taxpayer-funded resources. Ineligible non-citizens have no place to receive welfare benefits. With this new directive and audit, HUD is putting new processes in place to safeguard taxpayer resources and put the American people first.”
HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Ben Hobbs noted that the verification effort aims to ensure that limited housing resources are directed to eligible households.
“Today’s action to verify the immigration eligibility of all HUD-assisted households is a major step forward to ensure we put American families first and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse,” Hobbs stated.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner ordered public housing authorities and owners receiving department-funded housing Friday to verify tenant citizenship and eligibility. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)
HUD’s directive follows a letter sent last month, reminding housing authorities and owners of their legal obligations under Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980, as well as President Trump’s Executive Order 14218. This order mandates the verification of citizenship and immigration status prior to admission to HUD-assisted housing.
As part of this initiative, Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem previously signed the “American Housing Programs for American Citizens” memorandum of understanding. This agreement aims to prevent what HUD describes as the misappropriation of taxpayer dollars within federal housing programs.
A Webb County Sheriffs Officer and U.S. Border Patrol arrest a man allegedly smuggling migrants in Laredo, Texas. (Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
HUD announced that this agreement led to the first-ever upload of all HUD Section 8 and Section 9 tenant files into the SAVE system for immigration status verification.
The department emphasized that this directive applies to all HUD-funded housing nationwide, focusing on eligibility verification and program integrity.
DHS and USCIS have not yet responded to FOX Business’ request for further comment.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner discusses easing regulations to boost supply, exploring under-utilized federal land and responses to rent-freeze proposals.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has mandated that all public housing authorities and owners receiving department-funded housing verify tenant citizenship and eligibility. This directive comes after an audit conducted in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which flagged tens of thousands of deceased and ineligible tenants across the nation.
According to HUD, the audit revealed nearly 200,000 tenants requiring eligibility verification. This includes approximately 25,000 deceased tenants and nearly 6,000 ineligible non-American tenants within federally funded housing programs.
Under the new directive, public housing authorities and participating owners have 30 days to take corrective action or face potential sanctions.
TRUMP MOVES TO BLOCK WALL STREET FROM BUYING SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IN SWEEPING NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER
HUD Secretary Scott Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signed the “American Housing Programs for American Citizens” memorandum last year. (Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
HUD stated that the review was conducted in partnership with DHS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), utilizing the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system. The goal was to ensure compliance with existing federal law.
“We will leave no stone unturned,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner emphasized in a statement. “We are proud to collaborate with DHS to execute on the President’s agenda of rooting out abuse of taxpayer-funded resources. Ineligible non-citizens have no place to receive welfare benefits. With this new directive and audit, HUD is putting new processes in place to safeguard taxpayer resources and put the American people first.”
HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Ben Hobbs noted that the verification effort aims to ensure that limited housing resources are directed to eligible households.
“Today’s action to verify the immigration eligibility of all HUD-assisted households is a major step forward to ensure we put American families first and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse,” Hobbs stated.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner ordered public housing authorities and owners receiving department-funded housing Friday to verify tenant citizenship and eligibility. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)
HUD’s directive follows a letter sent last month, reminding housing authorities and owners of their legal obligations under Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980, as well as President Trump’s Executive Order 14218. This order mandates the verification of citizenship and immigration status prior to admission to HUD-assisted housing.
As part of this initiative, Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem previously signed the “American Housing Programs for American Citizens” memorandum of understanding. This agreement aims to prevent what HUD describes as the misappropriation of taxpayer dollars within federal housing programs.
A Webb County Sheriffs Officer and U.S. Border Patrol arrest a man allegedly smuggling migrants in Laredo, Texas. (Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
HUD announced that this agreement led to the first-ever upload of all HUD Section 8 and Section 9 tenant files into the SAVE system for immigration status verification.
The department emphasized that this directive applies to all HUD-funded housing nationwide, focusing on eligibility verification and program integrity.
DHS and USCIS have not yet responded to FOX Business’ request for further comment.
