HUD/DHS MEMO DOES NOT CHANGE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES’ ELIGIBILITY FOR HOUSING AID

EL PASO, TEXAS — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released an interagency memo Monday on cooperation and resource sharing. The memo does not change eligibility for housing assistance or other safety net programs.

People who are undocumented are not eligible for subsidized housing under HUD’s “Section 8” program. U.S. citizens – including U.S. citizens in immigrant families – can qualify for Section 8, but in cases where a person in the applicant’s family is ineligible based on immigration status, the Section 8 benefit is reduced proportionally. These elements of the program are established by law, and neither HUD nor DHS can change them.

In response to the memo, the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition (PIF) released the following statement from its director, Adriana Cadena.

“Immigrant families need to know that this memo doesn’t change their eligibility for housing assistance or other safety net programs. What members of Congress should focus on is the potential for the Trump administration to abuse this agreement, harm families, and drive up homelessness across the country. They should start by demanding details on how this memo will affect HUD’s and DHS’ compliance with federal law. As news outlets have documented, the administration seems to regard the law as optional, and members of Congress who don’t share that view must hold the administration accountable.”