The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a new rule on a Thursday requiring all residents of federally funded public housing to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. This regulation reverses a policy in place since 1995 that allowed "mixed-status" families—households including both eligible and ineligible members—to live together as long as federal subsidies were prorated to cover only the eligible residents.
The policy change follows a 2019 attempt by the first Trump administration to revise the provision, which was later withdrawn in 2021. HUD reintroduced the proposed rule in February 2026, receiving more than 11,000 public comments during a three-month period. HUD Secretary Scott Turner stated the measure ensures that government-funded programs are not used by ineligible noncitizens while eligible veterans, elderly, and disabled individuals remain on waitlists.
According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a nonpartisan research institute, the rule could affect approximately 20,000 mixed-status families, totaling about 80,000 people. CBPP reports that about 37,000 of those affected are children, most of whom are U.S. citizens. Opponents, including a coalition of 22 state attorneys general, argued in an April letter that the change would increase economic costs for states and worsen the affordable housing crisis.
The scale of the impact includes tens of thousands of U.S. citizen children who live in these households. While HUD Secretary Turner cited an audit identifying nearly 200,000 tenants with unverified eligibility as a primary reason for the change, housing advocates like Tran-Leung stated the previous system functioned well for all parties. For an affected household, the change represents a potential loss of housing stability or a significant increase in monthly rent if they move to the private market, as HUD currently only serves one-quarter of all eligible households in need.
What happens next: The rule is scheduled to take effect on Dec. 14. Local housing authorities in states like California, New York, and Texas will be responsible for implementation and enforcement. While the specific methods for verification and the exact timeline for potential evictions were not reported, the rule sets a new legal precedent for eligibility that excludes the mixed-status compromise used for the past three decades. Currently, it is not reported how many of the 200,000 unverified tenants will be able to successfully produce the required documentation before the deadline.