February 20, 2026
A recent HUD and U.S. Department of Homeland Security audit identified nearly 200,000 tenants nationwide with either incomplete or unknown eligibility verification.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced plans to end housing assistance for mixed-immigration-status families. Under its current regulations, mixed-status families are eligible to receive federal housing assistance on a reduced basis. As Politico reported, the agency calculates benefits based on the percentage of eligible family members.
HUD’s proposed rule would limit the decreased assistance to a temporary 30-day period. The agency said this is meant to provide a buffer for family members whose eligibility is pending verification.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the days of illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters gaming the system and riding the coattails of American taxpayers are over,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement. “HUD’s proposed rule will guarantee that all residents in HUD-funded housing are eligible tenants. We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes.”
Closing A Housing Loophole
HUD said the proposed rule will close the loopholes and prohibit non-citizens from “benefiting” from taxpayer-funded housing. A recent HUD and Department of Homeland Security audit identified nearly 200,000 tenants nationwide with either incomplete or unknown eligibility verification. The federal housing agency estimates that approximately 24,000 undocumented immigrants benefit from HUD assistance.
HUD’s proposed rule change is concerning for housing advocates. Leaders from the Nonprofit National Housing Law Project (NHLP) said it would lead to the eviction of tens of thousands of families.
“The result would be over 100,000 people evicted, including more than 37,000 children, many of them citizens,” NHLP Executive Director Shamus Roller told Multifamily Drive. “HUD also seeks to enlist housing authorities and owners into immigration enforcement and away from its core mission — providing affordable housing in the midst of a national housing crisis.”
An analysis by the nonprofit Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that approximately 80,000 people would face eviction under HUD’s proposed rule, nearly half of them U.S. citizen children, according to Multifamily Drive.
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