The Department of Housing and Urban Development is taking a hard line on public housing authorities, demanding detailed tenant eligibility information—including citizenship status—from every agency it oversees. HUD officials are warning that failure to comply could threaten federal funding for these housing agencies. Each public housing authority (PHA) will have 30 days from the receipt of an official HUD letter to provide the requested information, starting with Washington, D.C.'s PHA and eventually reaching more than 3,000 authorities nationwide.
The Washington Examiner was first to break the story after reviewing a template of the letters being sent. GlobeSt.com reached out to HUD for confirmation and a copy of the letter, but the department declined to share the document itself. In response to the inquiry, HUD did say, “We can confirm this story is accurate."
Federal law lays out which categories of noncitizens qualify for housing assistance, as described in Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980. The Congressional Research Service explains that while several classes of immigrants are eligible—including those with permanent status—others, such as unauthorized immigrants or temporary visa holders, are explicitly excluded. Programs covered under these rules include public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Section 8 project-based rental assistance and rural rental assistance. Families with a mix of eligible and ineligible members may receive prorated benefits, but all recipients must meet program requirements.
Interestingly, the Congressional Research Service also notes that most federally funded rental assistance programs don’t mandate immigration status verification for all recipients. But federal regulations do require families applying for assistance to submit evidence of citizenship or appropriate documents verifying immigration status. This includes documentation for U.S. citizens and self-declarations with supporting paperwork for noncitizens, with specific requirements according to age and status.
According to the Washington Examiner, two senior HUD officials stated that a “significant number” of public housing authorities either failed to collect citizenship information or did not share it with the federal government. The new letters demand PHAs to fulfill six specific requests within 30 days, ranging from identifying mixed-status families and providing tenant data—including names, addresses, social security numbers and proof of immigration status—to sharing detailed spreadsheets and compliance documentation. Agencies must also supply records of tenants who may have misrepresented their legal status and complete tenant files for any individuals identified through these requests.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner has been tasked with reporting his department’s findings to the attorney general and federal law enforcement.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.