In late January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) directed all public housing authorities and owners of HUD-funded properties to immediately verify the citizenship status of all tenants nationwide. HUD says a recent review identified roughly 200,000 tenants needing eligibility verification, about 25,000 records associated with deceased tenants, and nearly 6,000 tenants who appear to be ineligible non-citizens.
HUD gave Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and participating owners 30 days to take corrective action. The department, working with the Department of Homeland Security, said the effort is intended to prevent misuse of taxpayer-funded housing benefits and ensure assistance is reserved for eligible households.
Within 30 days, PHAs and owners must: – Review their EIV-SAVE Tenant Match Report – Confirm that citizenship or immigration status has been accurately reported to determine eligibility – Begin corrective actions where needed
HUD says entities that do not comply may face sanctions, and the agency will recapture funds paid on behalf of ineligible or deceased tenants.
Read the full HUD release: https://www.hud.gov/news/hud-no-26-008