01/25/2026
HUD orders immediate citizenship verification for tens of thousands of tenants in nationwide crackdown
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is taking aggressive action to "clean house" after a massive audit revealed tens of thousands of ineligible individuals living in taxpayer-funded housing.
Following a joint investigation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), HUD Secretary Scott Turner has issued a 30-day ultimatum to all public housing authorities to verify tenant eligibility or face severe sanctions.
The Audit Findings:
• Major Discrepancies: The audit flagged nearly 200,000 tenants requiring immediate eligibility verification.
• Ineligible Residents: Investigators identified nearly 6,000 ineligible non-citizens and 25,000 deceased individuals currently listed as tenants.
• Resource Mismanagement: HUD intends to recapture funding for all payments made on behalf of these ineligible and deceased individuals.
The "American People First" Initiative:
This directive follows President Trump’s Executive Order 14218, aimed at ending taxpayer subsidization of open borders. For the first time, HUD has uploaded all Section 8 and Section 9 files to the SAVE system—a federal database used to verify immigration status.
“Ineligible non-citizens have no place to receive welfare benefits,” said Secretary Turner. “We are putting new processes in place to safeguard taxpayer resources and put the American people first.”
What’s Next?
Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) have exactly 30 days to review their records and initiate corrective actions. Officials state this is a vital step toward clearing massive waitlists for eligible American families who have been waiting years for assistance.