Public housing residents must prove immigration status under new HUD rule, possibly displacing thousands

Key Points:

• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a new rule requiring residents of federally funded public housing to prove U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status, potentially displacing nearly 80,000 people, including many U.S. citizen children in mixed-status families.
• Since 1995, mixed-status families were allowed to live together in HUD housing with subsidies prorated for eligible members, but the new rule may force families to split up or leave public housing, raising concerns about family separation and increased homelessness.
• HUD Secretary Scott Turner defended the rule as a measure to prevent ineligible noncitizens from exploiting welfare programs and to prioritize housing for American veterans, disabled, elderly, and domestic violence victims, citing an audit of nearly 200,000 tenants with unverified eligibility.
• The rule will affect families nationwide, with the largest impact in New York, California, and Texas; 22 state attorneys general opposed it, warning it would worsen the affordable housing crisis and impose significant economic costs on states.
• The rule, scheduled to take effect on December 14, has faced public backlash, including from housing residents and advocacy groups, who argue it will increase homelessness and disrupt families without achieving cost savings.