Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner discusses easing regulations to boost supply, exploring underutilized federal land, and responding to proposed rent freezes.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has ordered all public housing authorities and landlords to receive housing financed by the department Friday to verify tenants’ citizenship and eligibility after an audit with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported tens of thousands of deceased and ineligible tenants nationwide.
HUD said the audit identified nearly 200,000 tenants requiring eligibility verification, including nearly 25,000 deceased tenants and nearly 6,000 non-U.S. tenants ineligible under federally funded housing programs.
Under the directive, HUD said all public housing authorities and participating landlords have 30 days to take corrective action or face potential sanctions.
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HUD Secretary Scott Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signed the “U.S. Housing Programs for U.S. Citizens” memorandum last year. (Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
HUD said the review was conducted in coordination with DHS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which manages the Systematic Alien Verification System (SAVE), and was intended to ensure compliance with applicable federal law.
“We will leave no stone unturned,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement. “We are proud to work with DHS to implement the President’s agenda to root out the abuse of taxpayer-funded resources. non-citizens have no place to benefit from social benefits. With this new guidance and audit, HUD is implementing new processes to protect taxpayer resources and put the American people first. »
Ben Hobbs, HUD assistant secretary for Public and Indian Housing, said the verification effort aims to ensure that limited housing resources are directed to eligible households.
“Today’s action to verify the immigration eligibility of all HUD-assisted households is a major step in ensuring we put America’s families first and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse,” Hobbs said.
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HUD Secretary Scott Turner on Friday ordered public housing authorities and landlords receiving housing financed by the department to verify the citizenship and eligibility of tenants. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/Getty Images)
HUD said the directive follows a letter sent last month reminding housing authorities and landlords of their legal obligations under Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 and President Trump’s Executive Order 14218, which requires verification of citizenship and immigration status prior to admission to HUD-assisted housing.
As part of that effort, Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem previously signed a memorandum of understanding on “American Housing Programs for American Citizens” aimed at preventing what HUD described as the “American Housing Program for American Citizens.” embezzlement of taxpayers’ money under federal housing programs.
A Webb County Sheriff’s officer and U.S. Border Patrol arrest a man allegedly smuggling migrants in Laredo, Texas. (Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
HUD said the agreement led to the first-ever upload of all HUD Section 8 and 9 tenant files into the SAVE system to verify immigration status.
The department said the directive applies to all HUD-funded housing nationwide and focuses on verifying eligibility and program integrity.
DHS and USCIS did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for additional comment.
