President Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development has finalized a rule that closes a costly eligibility loophole in taxpayer-funded housing.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner says the old system allowed illegal aliens and other ineligible residents to remain in subsidized households while Americans waited years for help.
The number attached to that loophole is staggering: up to $218 million a year.
Turner put the cost in plain language after the rule was finalized:
HUD says its final Verification of Eligible Status rule requires every applicant and recipient in covered housing programs to prove U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. The agency says the change enforces Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980, which has long restricted federal housing assistance to citizens and certain eligible noncitizens.
The reform is aimed at so-called mixed-status households. Under the previous framework, eligible family members could receive prorated assistance even when other people living in the same household had not established eligibility.
HUD estimated that roughly 24,000 illegal aliens, ineligible residents and fraudsters were living in about 20,000 mixed-status households. A broader HUD-DHS review also flagged nearly 200,000 tenants whose eligibility information was incomplete or unknown.
The new rule replaces a declaration with documentation.
HUD explained that people claiming U.S. citizenship must now present proof such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate:
The Federal Register notice shows that the rule applies across major HUD programs, including public housing and Section 8 rental assistance. It requires every applicant and recipient to verify citizenship or eligible immigration status regardless of age, and it removes the option to simply decline to claim any status while remaining inside an assisted household.
The final rule also turns prorated aid for mixed-status families into a temporary arrangement while the remaining family members complete verification, instead of allowing that arrangement to continue indefinitely. Housing authorities and owners must notify affected tenants of the new requirements, while families can receive up to 60 days to obtain necessary documents.
The rule takes effect December 14.
That distinction matters because the supply of subsidized housing is limited. Elderly Americans, homeless veterans, domestic-violence survivors and working families can spend years on waiting lists while units remain occupied.
President Trump’s policy is straightforward: people who are legally eligible come first, and federal agencies must verify that eligibility before taxpayers pick up the bill.
Turner said the mixed-status loophole is over and documentation is now required:
Critics will argue that tougher verification can disrupt mixed-status families. But the federal government is not being unreasonable when it demands proof before distributing a scarce, taxpayer-funded benefit.
For years, Americans were told that enforcing basic eligibility rules was somehow cruel. President Trump’s HUD is treating it as what it is: responsible stewardship of public money and a promise to put eligible American families first.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up. View the original article here.
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[ H/T WLT Report ]
