As Trump Blames Immigrants for Housing Shortages, HUD Joins Crackdown

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By law, undocumented immigrants cannot receive direct federal housing benefits such as rental assistance. But undocumented people have been able to live with family members who are eligible for benefits. The Trump administration wants to block these “mixed-status” households from housing programs altogether, arguing such moves will make housing cheaper and more available to U.S. citizens, and limit who receives federal assistance.

In recent months, HUD told the nation’s public housing authorities to check thousands of people who get housing aid through a federal service that verifies immigration status and make sure their paperwork is on file, a process that has been bogged down by data errors. HUD also unveiled a proposal that would keep undocumented immigrants and the people they live with from receiving housing benefits even if the rest of the household includes citizens or children. If enacted, the new rule would also require local housing authorities to notify DHS if they learn about an undocumented person living in federally subsidized housing.

The result: People who are eligible for rental assistance may have to decide whether to separate from undocumented family members, or entire families may lose their aid altogether. Estimates from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials show that for every person ineligible for aid who is removed from the voucher program, about three people who are eligible would lose assistance.

Meanwhile, much of the work implementing HUD’s immigration agenda is being imposed on public housing authorities, the agencies that manage housing and administer funds in their communities. Mark Thiele, chief executive of NAHRO, which represents housing officials across the country, said housing agencies already check whether people lawfully qualify for HUD programs. But determining someone’s immigration status isn’t the housing agencies’ job.

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HUD Secretary Scott Turner has said removing undocumented immigrants from housing programs is crucial to protect taxpayer funds, enforce existing laws and ensure Americans are the ones receiving welfare benefits. He has pointed to lengthy waitlists across the country and argued that immigration is driving up housing costs. {snip}

HUD has described the scale of the problem in large terms: Earlier this year, the department said there were almost 200,000 people whose eligibility for housing benefits needed a second check. HUD also said there were some 25,000 deceased tenants and almost 6,000 “ineligible non-American tenants,” referring generally to people who are undocumented. Turner has said that HUD “will leave no stone unturned” and that the department is “proud to collaborate with DHS.”

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